The Lily Plague Crisis
by RavenDove
Summary: A Human Genetic Purist faction creates a virus that attacks any Human who has had genetic recequencing. This story about to undergo drastic rewrite due to Professional Advice.
1. Cold Sleep

All op the purist Propaganda stories that I had posted are now combined into one. The Lily Plague Crisis.

What started as a story about an attack against Dr. Bashir for being geneticaly enhanced evolved into a four part crossover sogga, and has now evolved into a full blown novel. I am posting it now as a single story, which I belive it was always ment to be. There are still chapters I need to write to fill in the blanks inbetween. There are new things to be found, and corrections that have been made. I hope you will enjoy this new improved version more than the some of it's parts that you have been reading over the last few months.

Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

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Star Trek is the Property of Paramount Motion Picture Studios, but it's dream belongs to the masses that have kept it going for nearly 40 years.

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The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter One: Cold Sleep

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Dr. Julian Bashir lay on the operating table with an IV tube attached to his right arm and another tube going from his nose into his stomach. Captain Kira Nerys held his left hand. He was the last one to be prepared for the journey to the new Central Quarantine.

Julian felt cold. He'd been running a fever for more than a day, so the cold had felt good at first, but it was almost unbearable now. The thermal reactant in his system was working a little too well, and he was afraid that he would go into shock before Simon finished prepping him for the modified stasis tube. The other virus victims had been unconscious, but he was still aware. His teeth began to chatter, and he felt a hypospray touch his neck..

"It's alright Julian," Dr. Simon Tarses1 said, " Your body temperature is dropping at the proper rate." Simon moved so it would be easier for Bashir to see him. "I've administered the neural blocker. I'll be able to make the incision in a few minutes."

Bashir tried to nod, but he couldn't. The sensation of Kira holding his hand was slipping away.

"Is there anything you want me to tell your parents when I contact them?" Kira asked.

"Just tell them I still plan on meeting them in Sudan at the years end." Julian managed through chattering teeth.

"I'll tell them." she promised.

Simon poked Bashir's toe with an instrument to test if the neural blocker was working. "Did you feel that?"

"F-feel what?" Julian said.

Tarses pulled the sheet back from Julian's abdomen and used a laser scalpel to make an incision on his right side angeling from the umbilicus to the hip. He then inserted the nozzle for the thermal reactant applicator into the cavity. "I'll have to put you all the way under in a moment." He tried hard no to let his voice falter. He did not know for certain that he would ever see Bashir alive again. If they found a cure for the virus before the stasis measures began to fail it would be easy to revive all of the victims, but finding a cure for a bio-weapon could take longer than even this measure would buy.

Julian could feel himself slipping into a dream even as Simon spoke. He could fight the inevitable no longer. He saw Simon's hand place the delta wave inducer on his forehead, but his eyes were already beginning to close.

Kira put down Julian's hand and moved away as Dr. Tarses began inserting a tube into Julian's throat. "Are you certain that you will be able to revive him?"

He didn't respond at first as he concentrated on the placement of the tube and adjusted the surfactant/thermal reactant/oxygen levels. "Once we have found a way to fight the virus, we'll be able to purge his system of the chemicals used to stabilize him and give him a transfusion of warmed blood."

"It doesn't sound pleasant."

"It won't be," Tarses admitted, "but there is an old Earth medical saying."

"What would that be?"

"You're not dead, until you're warm and dead." Said Simon.

"You'd just better be sure to bring him and the others back warm and alive." Kira said as she turned to leave.

"I'll do my best Captain." Tarses said.

When Simon was satisfied with the readings he signaled for the stasis tube to be brought next to the bed. Two nurses helped him lift the naked Bashir into it. They transferred all the life support tubes to the connections inside the chamber, and once they were all adjusted it was closed so that only a small window showed the face of it's occupant. It was filled with the same thermal reactant and a sterilizing cycle was run. Then the stasis field was activated and a diagnostic cycle run before Tarses would certify it for transport to the _Defiant_ by antigrav.

Tarses would pack his gear and be aboard the starship before they could make it with the cumbersome container. He knew that Commander Eilis Vaughn2 would already be aboard and pacing the deck. Vaughn's daughter Ensign Prynn Tenmei3 had only just been confirmed as arriving in the same manner as Dr. Bashir.

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1. Simon Tarses was first seen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation fourth season episode The Drum Head. It was there that the young medical technician was reveled to be one quarter Romulan instead of his claimed one quarter Vulcan. He appeared in a Star Trek: The Next Generation Novel that was intended to take place shortly after that episode, and then was not seen again until the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel Avatar: Book One at which time he was a recent graduate from Starfleet Medical. He has served as a regular to the Deep Space Nine novels ever since.

2. Eilis Vaughn is the current First Officer of Deep Space nine. He is a former intelligence operative of one hundred plus years in age who first appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Section 31 novel, and was added to Deep Space nine in Avatar: Book One when he found one of the lost Orbs. He has since appeared in a few Lost Era novels. Most notably The Art Of The impossible, where he rubbed noses with no less than Captain Rachel Garret, Lt. Ion Andrew Troi, Colonel Worf and Mogh Son Of Worf.

3. Ensign Prynn Tenmei was introduced to Star Trek: Deep space nine in the novel Avatar: Book One and is the daughter of The station's current first officer Commander Eilis Vaughn, with whom she does not always share the best of relationships.

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	2. Begin At The Begining

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Two: Begin At The Beginning

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Prynn was tired after her second shift and just wanted to go back to her quarters and go to bed. She didn't earn double headers, but if something was wrong with the Defiant's helm, she had a hard time resting until it was fixed. Nog1 had accused her of taking her job too seriously, or being after his.

She made her way through the dimmed corridor of the station and turned the corner to enter her quarters. It was just after the door closed that she felt a hypospray touch her neck.

Prynn tried to grab her attacker, but felt her body grow limp. The last thing she remembered was strong arms catching her and dragging her away from the door.

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Julian adjusted his uniform jacket and took one last look at himself in the mirror before heading to the Infirmity for the day. He left his quarters in no particular hurry and made his way to the nearest crossover bridge that would take him from the Habitat Ring to the Promenade.

It was just as he was turning from one corridor to another that he took a good hard punch from a hooded figure directly to his left eye.

He was staggered a bit, and tried to recover, but the man grabbed Bashir's hand and placed a hypospray to his wrist. Julian stumbled away as the man let go and fell to the floor. He tried to fight as a mask was placed to his face, and he was forced to

breath in something that burned. Then he was unconscious.

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Commander Eilis Vaughn liked the beginning of first shift in Ops. The day was new, and most people had the decency not to start yelling just yet. He sipped his morning Coffee as he went over the duty reports for last shift, and looked up from the last one just in time to see Captain Kira2 step off of the turbolift. "Good morning Captain." he said in greeting.

"Good morning Commander." said Kira Nerys. "Anything unusual to report?"

"Only a request from Major Cell3 for a meeting with you today."

"I think I can spare some time for his latest grievances this afternoon." Kira said as she tried not to smile. She had once held the post of Militia Liaison, and knew that the old Major was no doubt trying to smooth over some of the details for the last group of Militia personnel transferring dirt side. Kira frowned as she remembered that Dr. Girani4 would be one of them.

Kira took the padd that Vaughn offered her and made her way to the replicator to order her second raktajino for the day. She had woke up feeling so refreshed this morning, and now she had a queasy feeling in her stomach.

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Lt. Ro Laren5 had just finished with the night's security report and was preparing to begin on the plans for security of two upcoming oar shipments from the Gamma Quadrant when she received a call.

"Dr. Tarses to security."

"What can I help you with Simon?" Ro asked.

"Dr. Bashir hasn't reported for his shift, and the computer says he's left the station." said Tarses a little nervously.

"That doesn't sound like something Dr. Bashir would do." admitted Ro.

"Ops to Security." said Commander Vaughn's voice over the intercom.

"I'll have to get back to you in a moment Simon." said Ro as she activated the screen for a visual channel with Ops.

"What seems to be the trouble Commander?"

"We have reports of two Ensigns not showing up for duty on a repair crew." said Vaughn with a little annoyance. "They aren't responding to calls, and I was wondering if you could send someone to pull them out of where ever they are hiding."

"Did you ask the computer if they were still on board the station?"

Vaughn paused a moment and made the inquiry. "Computer, locate Ensign Davis and Ensign Johanson."

"Ensign Davis and Ensign Johanson are no longer aboard the station." said the flat voice of the computer.

"How did you know?" Vaugh asked.

"Dr. Tarses just reported Dr. Bashir missing as well." said Ro. "I'll have search teams assigned in ten minutes."

"I'll place the Station under lock down and have the computer determine if anyone else is missing." said Vaughn.

"I've already began a station wide scan for unauthorized transporter activity." said Ro."

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1. Lt j.g. Nog was made Chief Of Operation in the novels taking place just after the series ender, The Things We Leave Behind.

2. Colonel Kira Nerys was awarded the rank of Captain in the novel Unity when Bajor officially became a member of the Federation.

3. Major Cell was made the new station Militia Liaison Officer in the book The Worlds Of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Volume Two.

4. Dr. Girani has been Dr. Bashir's Bajoran second in command for much of the series run. Though after Bajor was admitted to the Federation she opted for a transfer dirt side with the remaining Bajoran Militia rather than a direct transfer into Starfleet. He reasons having part to do with the assassination of First Minister Sakar Edon on the station's Promenade in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Mission Gamma: Book Four.

5. Ro Laren, who first appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode of her name, was awarded the rank of Lt. in the Bajoran Militia for her roll in the Dominion War by her government in the time just before Avatar: Book One. She was later permitted a transfer back into Starfleet at the same Rank she had left at after Bajor became a Federation member in the novel Unity.

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	3. Where To place The Lily

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Three: Where To Place The Lily

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Vaughn cursed as he went over the list. He was angry, and not just because people had disappeared under his watch.

They had taken Prynn.

Prynn had not yet forgiven him for the second death of her mother Ruriko Tenmei.1 Vaughn had tried to smooth things over with her, but this did not make well for his chances with his one and only child.

There were six people missing from the station, besides his daughter. All of them Human, and Bashir was the oldest. Aside from their race they seemed to have nothing else in common. One of the missing was a civilian from a freighter, so it wasn't just Starfleet that had been targeted.

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Nog was rechecking the inventory of Cargo Bay Four for the shipment of ramscope component when he tripped on something. It was Ensign Janice Davis.

He'd been ready to write her and Johanson up for not reporting in this morning. They were suppose to be the ones looking for parts shipments, but Nog didn't have time to wait for them so he'd come down here himself.

There was a crate overturned just past Davis and Nog found Johanson on the other side with his legs pinned beneath it. They were both unconscious. Each with their hands placed on their chests holding a Lily as if posed for an old Earth Funeral. Just like in a picture that Nog had once seen. They were breathing, but both flushed with fever.

"Nog to the Infirmary." he said as he hit his commbadge.

"Infirmary here" said the voice of one of Bashir's nurses.

"I've found my missing Ensigns in Cargo Bay Four," said Nog, "and they aren't in very good shape."

"Are they still alive?" the nurse asked.

"Alive," said Nog, "but neither one is saying much of anything."

"We'll get a med team there as soon as possible Lt." the nurse said, "We've had calls for unconscious people in strange places all over the station."

"Understood," said Nog, "let the team know that Johanson may have two broken legs as well." said Nog as he deactivated his communicator.

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Julian awoke to find Tarses and Ro kneeling on each side of him. He tried to sit up, but Simon placed a hand on his chest.

"I don't think that would be a good idea just now Doctor." said Tarses.

"Can you remember what happened?" Ro asked.

Julian tried to speak, but it brought on a coughing fit. "I was sucker punched." he finally managed to say. "Then I was drugged."

"I'm going to have you beamed directly to the quarantine area we've set up." said Tarses.

"Quarantine?" Bashir asked.

"So far there are about ten victims." said Simon, "Humans only, who were attacked when they were alone, and given a virus."

Julian thought about that a moment. "If the victims aren't all in one area, quarantine may be a moot point."

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1. Lt. Ruriko Tenmei was a Starfleet intelligence officer who was assimilated by the Borg, then found in the Gamma Quadrant by _USS Defiant_ about ten or a dozen years later. At that time Commander Eilis Vaughn was forced to kill Ruriko in order to save Ensign Tenami Prynn's life. (See Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Mission Gamma: Book Four.)

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	4. Range Of Terror

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Four: Range of Terror

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Kensie Delina1 walked along the Bennion2 Lake shore with her older cousins Tatiana and Freeman Schneider3. Her small feet sunk deep into the fine sand, but it didn't slow her up any. It was fun to watch the sand obscure the destictive Trill spots on her toes and then pull them back out again. The colors of her bathing suit brought out the red in her hair and the Xenexian purple in her eyes.

Tatiana's pale skin, thin frame and curly, red-blond hair was such a contrast to her brother, who was olive dark with deep brown eyes and an unruly fuzz of hair the color of dark chocolate mixed with ripe rhubarb mush.4 Yet if you looked them in the face there was no question that they were siblings. They both had their mother's eyes and lips, and the ever so faint point to their ears that betrayed their grandfather's Vulcan blood.

Freeman ran up ahead to where an old fashioned sail boat was lined up on the beach as if the owner was about to set it in the water or was just bringing it out. The owner was no where in site and all the other sailors had left today, because it was late afternoon and the wind had died as the sun sunk past it's zenith.

Tatiana noticed a man laying in the sand as they passed the boat trailer. He was posed in an odd way with a flower of some kind clasped between his hands. Tatiana pulled her brother away from the man. "Freeman, go get Mom and Dad."

"Why don't you go?" the boy asked with indignation about being bossed by his older sister.

"Because I need to stay with Kensie, and you need to run really fast."

"Is that man hurt?" Freeman's deep brown eyes pleaded for the answer to be no.

"He's just lying there in the sand and not moving," then with an expression of fascination that that was so much like her mother Jesser5 she said "Wow, he might be dead."

Freeman shook his head and backed away then turned the other direction to run as fast as his eight year old legs would carry him.

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Ambassador 'dia Ona6 of Trill was talking with her husband Crewman Cameron Delina7 when her nephew Freeman came running up to the beach chairs where they sat.

"Aunt 'dia! Uncle E'ron!" the boy called out breathlessly. "Where are Mom and Dad?"

"They went back to the _Jordon_." 'dia said as she pointed to a runabout in the distance. The Idaris8 modified Danube class runabout _USS Jordon_ was the Ambassador's personal transport, and her family had been using it for a vacation to the fresh water lake on the Northern continent of Bennion.

The new Trill Embassy on the planet was finished and they had decided to spend a few days at the lake before the formal reception to declare the place open. After the opening the family would have to return to the starship _USS Kelly_. Which was the official posting for her husband as well as her brother in law Crewman Edward Schneider9, and where she served as the ships Diplomatic Officer after accepting a field commission of Ensign.

"What's the matter Monkey Child?"10 Cameron asked.

"There's a man laying in the sand on the other side of that boat, and Tosh thinks he's hurt." Freeman pointed to the boat and where Kensie was playing in the sand.

'dia stood up and started to pack the chairs back to the runabout. "I'll go get Ed to warm up the ship." she said. "You go and see what's wrong."

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1. Kensie is short for Kensleia and is the name of my two and a half year old daughter. She has the red hair, but not the purple eyes. That hair and eye color appears in another story of mine posted on this site. Browne points if you can find it.

2. Bennion is a private joke about where I currently live.

3. Tatiana and Freeman are the names of my niece and nephew. Their father is half German and half Italian so Tatiana came pale and Freeman came out dark.

4. The chocolate and rhubarb mush comment I got from his mother.

5. Jesser Ki'Haif-Torsu is my sister's persona with the USS Kelly Star Trek fan club. She is a Human/Vulcan hybrid who spent her first years in Klingon space. Eventually her father married my mother and adopted me. Thus Ambassador 'dia Ona has the family name of Ki'Haif-Torsu as well, which is Vulcan for Basket Weaver.

6. Ambassador Got'hofp'hfrezdiandia Ona or Ensign/Ambassador 'dia Ona (sometimes rendered 'dia Ona) is my persona for the Star Trek fan club USS Kelly. This means that she is in some ways worse than Sue, because I have actually dressed up as her and gone to Live Action Roll Play or LARP events in character. I did not originally intend to use her in this story, but somehow she and her family just wormed their way in. I will try to focus more on the regular Voyager characters, but she is part of this story. (Please forgive me.)

7. Cameron Delina (aka E'ron of Delina) is my husband Cameron's Xenexian _USS Kelly_ persona.

8. Idaris is given as the family name of Jadzia Dax in The Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Book Two: Trill, Unjoined. I have decided to use it as the name for a class of modified Danube class runabout with extended science labs, and living space. The Jordan is the only one of the these modified runabouts. It is a surpluses ship that was sold to Ambassador Ona as a personal transport, and modified by her husband Crewman E'ron Delina with the help of her and the Engineering staff of USS Kelly.

9. Crewman Schneider is the club persona of my brother in law Ed.

10. I swear my husband has actually called my nephew this.

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This chapter was a collaberation between myself, Basketweaver Jesser and Tatiana Schneider. (Tatiana is only nine and does not have an account on this site.)

RavenDove

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	5. Quarantine

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Five: Quarantine

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"I'm sorry Commander," said Dr. Girani to Vaughn, "But I can't let you in to see your daughter." She pointed to Kira. "I can let the Captain in because this virus is Human specific and Bajorans don't even seem to be able to carry it. We just can't risk any new cases."

Vaughn walked away with a defeated look as Kira was allowed to enter the make shift quarantine airlock. The number of exposures had risen to fifty, though there had been only eight attacks. There were search team members and room mates. Family members and the entire crew of the freighter that had reported a crewman missing. They had converted one of the larger cargo bays into two quarantine wards and confined the as yet unaffected crew of the freighter to their ship. Thankfully some of the exposed had been ruled out as immune and unlikely carriers.

Kira walked through the first ward with Girani. It was the ward for the unaffected. There were two dozen humanoids milling about and looking rather unpleased in that ward as Dr. Tarses and other Medical staff ran scans on them. Then Kira entered the second ward.

It was here that they had placed all of the attack victims, plus the three other that showed signs of the virus in their system. Ten of the twelve beds were occupied by people who looked anywhere from slightly fevered to down right burning up. Two of them looked like they were having convulsive fits. At the far end of the ward Bashir was sitting up in a bio-bed going over the contents of several padds and only looked sweaty in his t-shirt and uniform pants. While the other ward occupants were burning up and wearing only exam gowns, he was still going about his work like he'd never been attacked. Kira noticed how cool the room was, and realized that Julian must have a fever as well to be sweating.

Kira walked up to Julian, not quite sure what to ask him first.

Bashir noticed her and began his report without giving her a chance. "It's designed to attack Humans who have undergone genetic resequencing."

"That confirms what the isolinear rods in the flowers said." Kira admitted.

"Every one of the patients in this ward was treated for a life threatening or debilitating condition," Bashir took a deep breath, "except me." Bashir set down the padds and ran the back of one hand over his forehead. "Even the ones who weren't attacked." He stood and began to pace. "The virus is airborne, but in a nonhuman or a human without the proper genetic markers it doesn't even begin to grow, it just becomes dormant and is gradually eliminated."

"This sounds like the work of radicals." Kira admitted. She handed him the padd she had been carrying. "Each of the isolinear rods named the victim and stated their crime as being unnatural. Then went on to name the date and nature of their genetic resequencing as well as the dates they entered into Starfleet for those that are in Starfleet." Kira looked back at the other patients. "Though yours didn't list an exact date of treatment like the others for your genetic resequencing it did list the date you entered Starfleet and the date your Father's plea bargain was made. It also had a list of crimes that you have supposedly committed as a doctor and a Starfleet Officer."

Julian looked at the list and thought for a moment. "Quite creative, whoever wrote this list should be writing holonovels."

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Ro was examining the commbadges for every one of the officers that had been attacked. Every one of them had the power cell removed. That was the reason why the computer had read the owners as no longer aboard the station. Though now that everyone was accounted for, the station lock down had not been lifted. Until they could confirm that the virus had not spread it had become a quarantine lock down.

It was good thing that Bajorans didn't seem to be able to spread the disease, or Ro would be stuck in a quarantine and unable to help with the investigation.

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	6. Even To Sol

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Six: Even To Sol

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Dr. Kataba1 had been nearly ready to end her shift for the day when the first cases of the virus had come into the Starfleet Academy's Infirmary. Now hospitals in San Fransisco, Paris, Utopia Planitia and Tyco City were being overwhelmed with cases.

Sadly even the Nyel2 were having exposures. Their nature as decedents of humans who had used genetic engineering to survive a hostel environment working against them. The Vanguard3 habitat in Titan's orbit was not yet breached and had been placed on a quarantine lock down as soon as the nature of the attacks had become apparent.

That still left member of the refugee Nyel who were away from Vanguard as victims of this unimaginable crime.

While Kataba worked she also had to face the fact that it was only a matter of time until the disease struck her. Having been treated with genetic reseaquencing for sickle cell disease as a small child.

There was no time to think of herself just now. There were so many patients that needed her.

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Najcon was a lost Human colony. One that the crew of _USS Titan_4 had only rediscovered two months before. Just after their return from an accidental trip to the outer Magellanic Cloud, which was a pocket of what had been inhabitable space out past the Galactic Barrier around our Galaxy. What had happened to that area of space when the _Titan _and a fleet of Romulan ships closed the rift that brought them there and back would not be know in our Galaxy for some years to come.

The _Titan_ had returned to Najcon now to finish negotiating a treaty with the inhabitants. The negotiations were now in recess for the mid-day meal, and the members of the negotiating team as well as a few of _Titan_'s crew who had been granted shore leave were in the capital city's market place.

Commander Tuvok5 sat with his wife T'Pel6 at a table in an open air cafe along with Captain William Riker7 and his wife Commander Deanna Troi8.

"You say the negotiations are going well." T'Pel stated as she selected another piece of fruit from the communal trays in the center of the table.

"Thanks to Deanna we should have a workable trade agreement by the end of the day." Riker admitted with a smile. The love he had for his wife was all in his eyes and the way he touched her hand.

T'Pel raised an eyebrow at the gesture. "Are Human couples always so demonstrative of their affection?"

"The level of demonstrative gestures between Human partners is always highest in the first year of a marriage, My wife." said Tuvok. He held out two fingers to her in the Vulcan manor9. "Though such gestures are always a welcome thing."

T'Pel hesitated, but finally placed the two fingers of her right hand against her husbands. "Are we to become as demonstrative as Humans then?" There was a touch of irony in her voice.

"After so many years apart would you wish to be completely undemonstrative?"

T'Pel took her fingers away. "If that were my wish then I would have remained on Vulcan."

"That I think is part of the point." Tuvok said.

"Are we getting in the way of an argument?" Riker asked as he set down the empty rind of a fruit on his plate.

"It is hardly an argument Will." said Deanna. "I think they are trying to Count Cha.10"

Riker frowned, "I haven't heard that one before."

"It is a game of debate," said Tuvok, "but the subject at hand is not really a suitable one for the game.

It was then that the market was filled with chaos as a man entered the restaurant area and threw a device at Riker's table which was releasing some sort of vapors that burned in the lungs. This was apparently not the only such device that the man had thrown.

Tuvok manage to tackle the man and take him to the ground.

The man then pulled out a hand phaser and turned it on himself. "Death to the impure!" he yelled as he shot himself. The wound was gory and clearly fatal.

"What the Hell was that all about?" Riker yelled.

Tuvok managed a closer examination of the device the man had thrown. "I believe this device was designed to disperse a biological agent."

"Could this be related to the attacks in Federation space?"

"It could very well be." said Tuvok.

"This man was with one of the Federation trading ships that have been waiting for the treaty." said Deanna.

"So he came form Federation space," said Riker, "And he's been headed this way since probably just after word of this colony made the news feeds back on Earth."

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1. Dr. Kataba first appeared in Marvel Presents Paramount Comics Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, where she was the CMO of the Academy Infirmary.

2. The Nyel are a race of humanoids that are genetically adapted to a low gravity environment that are the descendants of Humans that accidentally ended up in the lesser Magellanic cloud. (see Star Trek: Titan The Red King)

3. Vanguard was a space station in orbit around Earth that was displaced to the lesser Magellanic cloud by an early warp field experiment gone wrong. It's inhabitants became the Nyel who conquered that part of the universe and then had to flee a spacial anomaly called The Red King using the ancient and long abandoned habitat as refuge. It was towed into orbit around Saturn's moon Titan while the Nyel and the refuges of other Magellanic races await a new world to settle on. (see Star Trek: Titan The Red King)

4. _USS Titan _is the Nova class vessel that Captain William T. Riker was given to command at the end of Star Trek: Nemesis.

5. Commander Tuvok was made the chief tactical officer and third in command of _USS Titan_.

6. T'Pel Commander Tuvok's only condition for accepting a position aboard _Titan_ was that he be aloud to bring his wife aboard with him.

7. Captain William T. Riker Commanding officer of _USS Titan_.

8. Commander Deanna Troi Diplomatic Officer of _USS Titan_

9. A Vulcan Kiss The gesture of two fingers touching was first seen in the TOS episode Journey to Babel

10. Counting Cha is mentioned as the thing that Vulcans do for the other six years.

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	7. It May Be Time To Panic

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Seven: It May Be Time To Panic

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Major Cell sat in Captain Kira's office and stared at the baseball on her desk. He knew it had been the Emissary's, but he just didn't understand it.

Kira came through the doors in a hurry. "I'm sorry I'm late Major."

"With the way the day started I hardly expected you to be on time captain." said Cell.

Kira was just sitting down at her desk when the intercom sounded. "I have a call for you from Admiral Ross Captain." said Ezri Dax.1

Kira let out a particularly nasty Bajoran curse. "I'll take it in here." she answered.

"Perhaps I should reschedule." said Major Cell.

The holo-communicator came up with an image of Ross before Kira could answer the Major. "Hello Admiral." she said in a forced greeting as she moved in front of the image.

"I know that now is not a good time Captain." said Ross. "I just thought you might like some warning about the news feeds."

"What news feeds?" Kira asked with just a touch of fire in her voice.

"Deep Space Nine is not the only place hit by virus attacks." said Ross. "It's to the point where we can't keep it under wraps any more." Ross let out a very tired breath. "They're calling it the Lily Plague."

"Thank you for the warning Admiral." said Kira. "I think I'm about to have a problem on my hands."

"Understood," he said, "Ross out." Then the transmission suddenly ended.

"Kira to Dax."

"Dax Here." came over the intercom.

"Could you please step into my office Ezri?"

Ezri stepped into the office in answer. "You screamed."

Kira was in no mood for the Trill's sense of humor just now. "I need you to monitor the Federation News feeds, but please do it from some place other than Ops."

Ezri made a face that reminded Kira so much of Jadzia it almost hurt. "That bad, huh?"

"No worse."

"Ro to Kira" came over the intercom.

Kira half threw herself back into her chair and rolled her eyes. "Kira here Lt."

"Would you like the good news first?" came the response.

"Just cut to the chase!"

"We've found the an attacker," said Ro, "but not before he set of a device in the replimat."

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"I guess that means we can forget about containment on the station." said Kira's voice.

Ro looked down at the man her people were holding. He was not more than twenty-three. A blond human male with green eyes. "He's also got a fever, so I'm guessing that he's got the virus."

There was a noise outside the security office, and Ro looked out onto the Promenade. Things were getting ugly in front of Quarks. "I think we're about to have a riot on our hands as well."

"I'll send Major Cell down to help you with that one," said the Captain, "Kira out."

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Bashir was running another simulation on a computer screen in the Quarantine ward when Dr. Tarses came up behind him. "I really think you should be in bed."

"Everyone knows I'm a lossy patient Simon." Bashir said. "Besides I feel fine."

"My tricorder says otherwise." Tarses said.

The woman in the bed next to Bashir began to scream very loudly.

"Let me out of here." a man yelled as he stood up and tried to force his way past a nurse. "It's being in here that will kill me."

Simon went to help the nurse and Bashir tried to calm the woman. "It's alright Drianna." he said in as calm a voice as he could muster.

"Get them off me." she yelled as she swatted at unseen things on her legs.

Bashir looked at the readings on her bed and pulled a tricorder. She needed a sedative. He made his way across the room to where the replicator was and called up what was needed. He was nearly back to Drianna's bedside when another patient got out of bed and tried to deck him. Bashir managed to duck, but he dropped the hypospray. "Why did you do that?" he asked.

"You Jem'Hadar think you're so tough." the woman yelled as she spat on him and tried to grab his hair. When he avoided the hand he took a knee to the stomach.2

Tarses snook up behind the woman and put her down with the sedative that Julian had dropped. The nurse was already tending to Drianna. Once the prize fighter was back in bed Tarses and the nurse helped Julian back to his own bed.

"I think we can add delusions to the list of symptoms." Bashir said painfully as Tarses prodded his ribs.

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1. Ezri Dax achieved the rank of full Lt. in the Star Trek: Deep Space novel 'Avatar: Book One', and opted to change from counseling to Command Track at the end of 'Avatar: Book Two'. She then took over Worf's old post of Strategic Operations Officer.

2. The Plot bunnies made me do it.


	8. Fire

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Eight: Fire

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"We are closing the Promenade until further notice." Ro yelled over the crowd. "You are here by ordered to return to your quarters and your ships."

"When can we leave this station?" one angry Captain yelled.

"We've heard that there is a virus on this station." yelled another.

"The virus is Human specific and we can't let any ship leave until we can make sure that it won't be carried off station."

"The news feeds said it was already off station." yelled the first Captain.

Major Cell stood up next to Ro. "You will return to your ships and await a station wide announcement by Captain Kira, or you will be arrested for disturbing the peace."

Most of the crowd was placated by that and began to leave. The few that didn't leave found themselves in holding cells.

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Bashir went over the figures again, and the communique from Starfleet Medical. Then turned again to Kira's face on the windscreen's. "It's confirmed Captain. The only people on this station that need to quarantined indefinitely are those Humans who have undergone genetic treatment and any Human-hybrid."

"Why the Human-hybrids?" Kira asked.

"They won't get sick, but they will always be carriers." Julian said. "Everyone else can be let go in two days."

"How many deaths so far?"

Bashir frowned as he looked a Drianna's empty bed. "Ninety-eight including Lt. j.g. Drianna Cakes."

"How long ago did she die?" Kira asked

"Twenty minutes ago." he said. "She's the only death here so far."

"What is Starfleet Medical planning to do?"

"Right now they don't know." Bashir shook his head and looked up to see Dr. Girani headed his way. "I'll have to let you go now Captain."

Kira tried to smile, "Girani is about to yell at you, isn't she."

Julian nodded and shut off the screen.

"You'd better get back in bed or I'll have you tied down like our friend across the way." Girani pointed to the man security had just brought in.

"Just a few more minutes Mother?" Bashir said a mock begging tone.

That one earned him a dirty look. "Just because you aren't in as bad a shape as the others are, doesn't mean you won't be." she picked up an exam gown from off of his assigned bed. "And put this on before I have someone help me put it on you."

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Now that the preparations had been made Kira took a moment to try and center herself before she made her announcement. She looked at the baseball on her desk and tried to draw strength from her memories of Captain Sisko in equally trying times. Then she keyed in the command for a station wide announcement as well as to all ships currently docked.

"Attention all hands." she began. "This is Captain Kira Nerys. All Humans who have had genetic treatment for any reason will report to cargo bay nine for screening and quarantine. All individual of Human-hybrid decent will report to cargo bay ten for screening and quarantine. These groups are the only people that the virus now spreading on this station will effect. All others will be permitted to leave in fifty-two hours when the station wide quarantine will be lifted. I will ask that you conduct yourselves in a clam and orderly fashion for the duration. The Promenade will remain closed until tomorrow morning. Thank you, that is all."

She closed the channel and set her head on her desk. "Somehow I doubt this will go smoothly."

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Sixteen more cases were found in the next two hours. Thirty-two Human-hybrids were found to be carriers including Simon. Fifty-nine people in quarantine. Julian looked up at the ceiling above his bed and tried to go through protein sequence in his mind.

"How many combinations have you eliminated?" said Ezri as she sat down in the chair he had been using until Girani threatened him.

"I'm starting to loose track." Bashir admitted to his former lover.1

"That's not a good sign for you."

He looked at her delicate face, and the softness of her blue eyes. "It just means I'm very tired." he lied.

A nurse approached. "Dr, Girani said you'd want to know when they were ready to try the stasis chamber."

Bashir sat up and stood to follow the nurse to the far end of the room. He hated to admit it, but he found himself leaning on Ezri. The room was no longer divided into two wards, so it was a longer walk.

There was a portable stasis chamber set near the airlock. He, Girani and Tarses had agreed that it was time to try this with the more critical patients once the final numbers aboard station had reached their peak.

Two nurses were helping Girani place Ensign Davis inside. Once the unit was closed Girani activated the stasis field, and something went wrong. It only took a few moments for the center of the chamber to begin to smoke. Girani tried to force the chamber open with her bare hands when it failed to open on it's own. One of the nurses ran for an extinguisher while the other tried to pull Girani way.

All that was left in the end was a charred pile of slag, and Girani's burned hands. Julian tried to comfort her as she was pulled onto an empty bed. This was not something any of them had expected.

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1. Julian Bashir and Ezri Dax broke up in 'The Worlds Of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Volume Two: Trill: Unjoined'.

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	9. Solutions

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Nine: Solutions

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Dr. Tarses had been allowed to go from one quarantine to another in order to treat Dr. Girani. He was running a dermal regenerator over her right hand while a nurse treated the left. Dr. Bashir had put his pants back on and was examining what was left of the stasis unit behind a privacy screen. most of the patients in the ward were blissfully unaware of the incident by virtue of a fever or drug induced stupor. Those that were aware looked away with silent resignation.

One of the nurses reentered through the airlock and handed Bashir a padd as he and Dax stepped away from the screen. Bashir read the padd and then sat down on the empty bed next to Girani. "It was a chemical reaction brought on by the stasis field."

"But Drianna didn't burn up." Girani protested.

"Drianna was dead before she was put in stasis." Said Tarses.

"Exactly." said Julian. "What we need is a way to slow the virus so that the stasis field won't be able to cause the same reaction in the liver." He held the padd up for Tarses and Girani to see.

"Induced hypothermia." said Girani. It was written on the padd in red.

"It would seem that we're not the only ones to have had a spectacular stasis failure." said Bashir. "Though they haven't yet found a method for inducing hypothermia that has worked."

"Thermal Reactant." said Tarses. "I've read about them using it with surfactant to treat plasma burns to the lungs."

"I read the same article," said Bashir, "but they haven't approved that for human use any way other than topically."

"It's not a toxic substance," Simon began, "if it was diluted in the blood stream at the right ratio..."

"But it would also have to be in the lungs, and the abdominal cavity." said Girani.

"And the oxygen saturation of the blood would have to be dangerously lowered." said Dax.

Bashir turned the padd back to himself and began drawing something. "An open incision would allow for Thermal Reactant into the abdomen without causing pressure problems, and if you lowered the body temperature slowly before you lowered the oxygen levels," he pauses a moment. "then it just might work."

He held up the padd again and Girani took it with her now healed right hand. "A combination stasis chamber and durmaline bath."

"With modified life support functions." Bashir moved to stand, "I'll get some simulations running..."

Julian found himself looking up at Ezri and Dr. Girani from the floor.

"I think Simon had better run the simulation." said Girani. "You need to go back to bed."

Once the two women has Bashir back where he belonged Dax went to see a Ferengi about a prototype.

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They lost three more while they waited for the prototype, but it worked. Ensign Claus Johanson was the first Lily Plague sufferer to be successfully placed in stasis.

It was after the news had been passed on that word arrived of Starfleet Medical's solution. A central quarantine was to be set up on one of Jupiter's moons for the Lily Plague patients. The Human-hybrid carriers would be housed on the colony world Setaris IV. The new home of most of the Helinite refugees from the former Demilitarized Zone. They had been forced to leave their world during the years before the Dominion War by a Double Helix Virus.1 Now their new world was under indefinite quarantine because of Lily Plague attacks, and their very nature as a hybrids species culture. With the majority of their citizens being part human and several something eases, it was hard to be sure who was a long term carrier and who wasn't.

Starfleet engineers were already working on temporary housing for an estimated ten-thousand hybrids and family members who would require sanctuary.

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Eilis Vaughn sat next to his daughter's bedside. She was sleeping, though not peacefully. He's been there for the last two hours as Prynn waited her turn to be placed in stasis. He should be getting the Defiant ready, but he was loathed to leave her now. He had abandoned her before, just when she needed him the most, and he could not do that to her again.

Dr. Tarses came up behind Vaughn, "We're ready for her in surgery."

Vaugh knew that Prynn was one of the last to be prepped. She had not gone into the critical stage that most of the other had reached until just before he had been allowed to see her. No one knew why, but maybe it would help them find an answer as to how to defeat this thing.

Vaughn let go of Prynn's hand and stood as he straightened his jacket. "I'll be aboard the Defiant." He told Tarses. "When we have all of the stasis chambers aboard we'll leave."

Tarses Nodded, "I'll be aboard with the last one."

"So you won't be going to Setaris?" Vaughn asked.

"I can be of more use at The Central Quarantine." Simon looked down at Prynn. "If I have to be quarantined I'd rather be with my patients, even if they are in stasis."

"I'll expect you to board by transporter just after you finish prepping Dr. Bashir then." Vaughn said. "They are loading the ship bound for Setaris in the same manor."

"I don't envy you the long walk to the docking ring Sir." Tarses joked in a long drawn out way as he helped maneuver Prynn to the surgical suite.

"Just don't get use to preferential treatment, I know the Captain wants her medical staff back before the next Plague."

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1. The Helinite relocation happened in one of the Double Helix novels. The one with Thomas Riker, Chakotay and Be'lanna Torres on the cover if I remember right.

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	10. Gone

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Ten: Gone

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Lt. Commander Phillipa Mathias1 looked up at the night sky of Setaris IV. It was a beautiful place, but she hope she would not be staying long. She walked along the path to the temporary dorm that she had been assigned to with the other new arrivals here. It was hard to see what the camp looked like in the dark, but she had already memorized the map. This was the first camp, but there were already Starfleet personnel scouting out locations for as many as ten camps. She hoped that they would not need so many.

Her group of women reached their assigned building and the Helenite that was guiding them opened the door. "Take a free bunk and make yourselves comfortable. The Commissary will be opened at dawn for your dining pleasure. Until then I will bid you ladies goodnight." The woman said as she ushered them through the door.

Phillipa took a bunk about half way between the building's door and the head. She did her best to start settling in and began the task of undoing her long blond braid for brushing. The hardest part about being here was being here without her family. They had been fortunate to be on Bajor when the attacks began or her two children would be here with her facing as unsure a future as she was. They were safe on DS9 with her husband, and would hopefully never be exposed to the virus.

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Ro Laren went over passenger manifest after passenger manifest until she found what she was looking for. The origin of the Plague Bomber. His journey to Deep Space Nine as far as she could trace it had started on Risa2 under the name Lucas Smith. If she was going to find the roots of the Lily Plague she would have to start there.

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Ezri awoke in Julian's bed. Her uniform rumpled, and her mind a fog. Kukalaka3 was clutched to her chest. She had not meant to stay the night here, but with Julian gone she had come by to check on things in his quarters. She had not wanted to leave after that.

The Defiant had left only two days before carrying so many stasis tubes to Central Quarantine and Simon the only waking soul locked in the cargo bay with them. At warp five they still had five days to Sol.

She straighten the covers on the bed and placed the teddy bear back on his shelf as she left. She would have just enough time to reach her own quarters and shower before alpha shift began.

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Kira yawned and shook her head to try and force herself more awake. She was on her third raktajino of the morning and it still wasn't helping. With so many of her senior staff missing the hours were catching up with her. With the thought of her friends she found herself whispering another short prayer to the Prophets. "Bring them home soon."

She looked back down at the report in front of her. Still more Plague attacks on Federation worlds. When would it end?

Major Cell was at the door of Kira's office. And Kira looked up at the sound of the chime. "Come in." she called as she leaned her chin on her hand.

Cell cut right to the chase. "I'd like to discuss the temporary transfer of militia personnel back to Deep Space Nine for the duration of this crisis."

"Dr. Girani has already offered to stay as temporary CMO until one from Starfleet can be sent." said Kira. "But with all Medical personnel currently working on the Plague crisis, that may be a while."

Cell took a seat across from Kira. "That's just the thing Captain. With this crisis affecting the entire Federation we aren't likely to see reenforcement for some time, and Bajor has to look out for Bajor."

"You're right Major." Kira admitted. "Unfortunately I think that is exactly what whoever created this crisis wanted."

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1. Phillipa Mathias is a DS9 character from the books who is the new station counselor after Ezri Dax switched to command track. She is a Human Vulcan Hybrid.

2. A-lot of evil plots start on Risa.

3. Kukalaka is Julian Bashir's childhood friend and first patient. He was first mentioned in the fifth season episode The Quickening and made his first actual appearance in the episode In The Cards.

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	11. This Is Personal

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Eleven: This Is Personal

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Ezri was going over the new personnel assignments with Kira while they shared a working lunch in the Captain's office. "I think Engineering was the most hit by this after Medical." she said to Kira. "With those taken to quarantine and those currently aboard the Defiant." They were interrupted by a chime from the door and both surprised as Hell by who entered.

"I hear you are short on Engineers." said Chief Miles Edward O'Brien.1

Kira dropped the fork into her salad and made her way around her desk to hug her old friend. "What are you doing here Miles?" she said as she pushed him back to arms length for inspection.

"Nog contacted me when the Defiant left for Sol." O'Brien said with a frown. "I know Julian was on it." his brow furrowed deeply. "And there are few people besides me that know this station as good as Nog does. What with the beast of cobbled components it is." he paused. "So I came as fast as I could."

"But what about the terreforming project on Cardassia?" Ezri asked as she took her turn hugging O'Brien.

"Cardassia can get on without me for a while." he said with a pained grin. "Keiko has the project lands in bloom and plenty of hands to help her."

"I'll be putting you straight to work Chief." said Kira.

"You can't be any worse of a task master then the last Commander of this station." O'Brien said with the old smile twinkling out of his eyes.

"I learned a few things from that man, O'Brien." Kira said with mock sternness.

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Beneath the Risan sun a Trill sat on a lounge chair with his white cat.2 The Universe was going his way today. Mickar Drex was smiling on the inside. He picked up a drink from a waiter's tray and responded in a Baritone voice. "I think this will be my last one for now."

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Ro had managed to convince Kira and Dax to meet her in her quarters that evening. The reunion with O'Brien had been all to short because of circumstances. She showed then what them what the manifests had revealed.

"The man we are looking for on Risa is Mickar Drex." said Ro. "The records say he's a joined Trill. Drex being on his fifth host."

"What connection could Drex have with a Human Purist group?" Dax asked.

"Drex's last known host was a specialist in DNA research." said Ro.

"Do you think he could be our virus maker?" Kira asked.

"I don't know that he is." Ro answered. "But he has this connection." Ro pulled up a photograph on her computer screen. It was of Drex with a young blond Human male.

Kira recognized the blond figure. "Our Virus Bomber." she looked down and shook her head. "What do you propose to do, Laren?"

"I don't know about the two of you, but this is personal for me." Ro said. "The first attacks were on this station to people I'd like to call my friends."

"Then you plan on going after this man yourself." Kira said without question.

"I'm going with her." said Dax.

Kira knew that these were women who could not be stopped is she wanted to do so. "I'll have Dr. Girani make you both look Human."

"How did you know what I was going to request?" Ro asked.

Kira looked Ro in the eye. "They don't give Captain's pips to idiots." she stood up and headed for the door. "These people are after Humans and have forced the Human-Hybrids into quarantine. They won't let a Bajoran and a Trill into their circle unless they can gain something from it." She turned back to Ro and Dax. "As far as anyone else is to know the two of you decided to take a trip to Bajor."

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1. Chief Engineering Specialist Miles Edward O'Brien took a job teaching a Starfleet Academy at the end of the television series, but later followed his wife Keiko to Cardassia where she became the head of a terreformimg reclamation project of Cardassia Prime. (See Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Volume One)

2. The really good villains always seem to have white cats.

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	12. The Lonely Vigil

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Twelve: The Lonely Vigil

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Dr. Beverly Crusher1 had still been adjusting to her new duties as head of Starfleet Medical when the Lily Plague had began. Now she found herself going over lists of victims that had already arrived at the quarantine facility, as well as those in route.

It would be good to see Dr. Tarses again when he arrived with the group from Deep Space Nine. She hadn't seen Simon since well before the parasite crisis on Bajor2, and was eager to hear his perspective of the things that had happened there. It was unfortunate that those questions would have to wait.

Lt. Xyon3 entered Crusher's make shift office followed by Dr. Kataba. "We've finished checking over the new power nodes." said Kataba. "We should have facilities for two hundred more victims than we are currently expecting."

Kataba was a tall human with ebony dark skin and a high forehead. Her long hair was tied back in thick corn rows. The smoothness of her complexion was betrayed by the tiredness in her eyes. She should by all rights be in a stasis tube like all the other patients here, but she had not yet become symptomatic of the disease.

Her companion Dr. Xyon was the youngest graduate of Starfleet medical. He was roughly four and a half years old now, though he looked to be about twenty-six standard years. His current posting was Science Officer of USS Excalibur where his mother Dr. Selar4 of Vulcan was the CMO and his father Bergoine 172 of Hermat was the First Officer.

Xyon, or Xy as he preferred to be called, was the only Vulcan/Hermat hybrid in existence. He suffered from some form of hyper aging that no one had been able to explain5. No one knew how long he would live, only that he could process information at a rate equal to his rate of aging.

Xy was tall and thin with Vulcan features to his face, and delicate pointed ears, but the hands and feet with retractable claws of the more feral Hermat. Despite the strangeness of the combination he still managed to remind Crusher of his mother.

"We received word that the Defiant will be arriving within the hour," said Xy, "and Admiral McCoy's shuttle is landing as we speak."

"Then we should be there to great him." said Crusher. She did admire Dr. Lenard McCoy, but he could still rub some people the wrong way. Crusher stood and led the way out of her office to the landing pad airlock.

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Dr. Simon Tarses lay on a cot in the cargo bay of the USS Defiant,the only other things in the cargo bay were twenty-three modified stasis units Needles to say the other occupants of the cargo bay really weren't up to saying much.

During the week long journey from Deep Space Nine to the Central Quarantine facility on one of Jupiter's moons he had found himself talking to his patients more than once. He was still sane enough to know that they didn't hear a thing, but with no one else allowed in the cargo bay with them, it was just a way to cope with the silence. He took stock of the situation in his mind for the umpteenth time.

The Lily Plague had hit all over the Federation. It's designers were as yet unknown fanatics bent on killing every Human that had ever been treated for a genetic disease, or who had ever undergone illegal genetic enhancement.

One of the stasis chambers held a man responsible for spreading the disease on Deep Space Nine, if he'd know before hand that he was vulnerable to it or not was also unknown.

Another Tube held the space station's CMO Dr. Julian Bashir, the only genetically enhanced person permitted to retain his Starfleet commission after being outed. He'd been one of the first people exposed, but one of the last to start to succumb to it's worst effects. He been attacked in a corridor and drugged. Then left with a Lily and a data chip on his chest. The chip began his list of alleged crimes with the first as 'Being Unnatural'.

Another contained Simon's friend Ensign Prynn Tenmei, the estranged daughter of the Deep Space Nine's First Officer Commander Eilis Vaughn. Her sin was that she had genetic resequencing in-utero for a severe case of Mitral Valve Prolapse. A common birth defect that in her case was severe enough to warrant either generic surgery once or a life time off valve replacement surgeries. Both as she grew, and as they wore out.

There were other friends of his in these tubes that surrounding. Once they reached the Central Quarantine they would join thousands of other victims. Numbers to all but those who had come to know them through their lives.

Tarses had volunteered for going to the Central Quarantine instead of going to Setaris IV because he was a doctor, and that was where the work for a cure would be. Thus why he was laying alone in a cargo bay with twenty-three stasis tubes, and no one else to talk to.

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1. Dr. Crusher became head of Starfleet Medical after the end of Nemesis though in the book Articles of The Federation lists another doctor in that position.

2. The Parasite crisis on Bajor is covered in the novels Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Mission Gamma: Book Four, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Unity & Worlds Of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Volume Two.

3. Lt. Xyon aka Xy is a character from the Star Trek: New Frontiers Series of Novels by Peter David.

4. Dr. Selar first appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation's second season episode The Scitzoid Man. She was used in many Star Trek: The Next Generation novels after that though she never appeared on screen again. When Peter David began the New Frontier series he populated the Excalibur with many lesser character from The Next Generation and from his prior youth novels. It is important to note that Selar was the first time that actress Suzie Plaxon took a role on Star Trek, but she would later take on other roles on TNG, DS9, Voyager and Enterprise.

5. I have a theory about Xy's accelerated aging. (I believe that he will know all the ages of a Vulcan's two-hundred plus years, but he will experience them in the time of a Hermat's forty year life span.)

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	13. Psychovorous

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Thirteen: Psychovorous

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The Ten-Thirty-Two1 was one of the lower class bars on Risa. The name of the joint came from an old Earth law enforcement code for swerving drunk or suspected driver under the influence. The owner was a Human named Michael Finnigan2. A grubby, but muscular man with wandering hands and a sick sense of humor who didn't care what species as long as it's female.

It took all of Ro's inner resolve not to break the vole's hands every time he grabbed her rear as she passed by. The waitress job was her cover, Mickey didn't know that. As far as he was concerned she was just another talking thing with breasts that schlepped drinks.

Ro was so concerned with getting out of the back after her shift without having to turn down another advance from the boss that she didn't notice Dax enter.

Dax took a seat at a table near the door. Ro still had a bit of a hard time recognizing the Trill without her spots and nearly past her. "Where are you going Michelle?"3 Dax asked Ro as she passed the table.

Ro took a double take at the sound of Dax's voice, but recovered quickly. "Anywhere but here Nichole."4

Dax stood up and exited with Ro. "I can't say I blame you. I don't like to spend my off time at work either."

The two women walked in silence for a while. Their assumed identities as Human sisters from Earth had not been too hard to insert into life on Risa. Dax had used some old acquaintances of Curzon's5 to get a job at one of the resorts. Ro on the other hand had decided to take the lower end of society with a job at the Ten-Thirty-Two.

"You won't believe the day I've had." Ro finally said.

"Was it Carnivorous?" Dax asked. It had become their game in the last four days to try and top each other in stories of the attempt of someone seeking J'Maharon.6

Ro shook her head. "No, psychovorous.7"

Dax turned to her with disbelief. "Mickey only counted the first day."

"I was talking about a Leathian.8" Ro said as she stopped and readjusted her skimpy white blouse.

Dax shrugged, "Okay, looks like dinner is on me."

"Let's try and find a place that serves something other than Earth food." Ro begged.

Dax shook her head. "You know why we need to stick with Earth food."

Ro shrugged acceptance. "So what was your worst offer today?"

Dax blanched, "A Galamite, I just don't understand how Jadzia could get so involved with Captain Boday.9"

Ro smiled, "That one will get you desert."

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1. 10-32 is not the same in all police districts. In some it means, "Is there a intoxanillizer available?" In others it means, "Suspected DUI or DWI." In some some it means that the officer is following a car that is swerving and there is no mention of intoxication.

2. This character is named in honor of Mickey Finn. Both the actual drink and the character from the Spider Robinson "Callahan's Place" stories. (see C_allahan's Crosstime Saloon_, _ Time Travelers Strictly Cash_, and _Callahan's Secret_.) Remember, "The beauty of a pun is in the '_Oy_!' of the beholder."

3. Michelle Forbes is the name of the actress that played Ro Laren. Her first appearance in Star trek was not as the character however. She first appeared as Professor Timson's daughter in the TNG episode _Half A Life_. In the first Double Helix novel Data went down to planet disguised as a Human and used the name Brent, so I'm not the first person to pull this stunt.

4. Like you didn't see that coming after I named Ro Michelle.

5. See Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fifth season episode _Let He Who Is Without Sin..._

6. I'm not sure if I spelled that right, but it is basically a Risan custom for seeking sexual pleasure.

7. I've never heard this word before, but there are creatures in the Star Trek universe that are.

8. A Leathian psyonicly attacked Dr. Bashir in DS9 Third season episode _Distant Voices_ and another one attacked Kor in the Fourth season episode The Sword of Kahless.

9. Galimites have transparent skulls. Captain Boday is not seen in any Deep Space Nine Episode, but he is mentioned in _Let He Who Is Without Sin..._ and in _The Return._

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	14. As Far As The Eye Can See

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Fourteen: As Far As The Eye Can See

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Captain Chakotay1 had decided to pilot the last shuttle to the central quarantine himself, even though it made it necessary for him to wear an environmental suit. None of his crew had been exposed to the virus, and so full isolation protocols were in place. The shuttle contained himself, the Voyager's former CMO2 who was supervising the transfer of patients from the ships current CMO Dr Jarem Kaz3, their two hybrid passengers not headed for Setaris and the last eight modified Stasis units that they had been charged with carrying to the Sol system.

Voyager's former Chief Medical Officer was an anomaly in the Federation. The only hologram who's rights were held up in a court of law by a decision about copyrite of a holo-novel. As a hologram he did not require isolation from the virus. For that reason alone he had been allowed volunteer for service during the current crisis. He would be taking a temporary leave of absence from his new job as a member of the Federation Think Tank and going to Setaris with Voyager.

Their Senior passenger was Commander Deanna Troi. The half Betizoid had been with an away team from the _USS Titan _on the planet Najcon when someone set off an aerosol device containing Lily Plague. After the incident she had not been allowed to return to her ship. The entire away team had been quarantined with the city in which the device was set off.

The other passanger bound for the quarantine was a young female Helenite medical-tech who had served on the _Titan_ with Troi. She had not gone to the colony on Setaris IV when her civilization was relocated from the old Demilitarized Zone after the Double Helix Plague. Nesharna had instead enlisted in Starfleet before the Dominion War began, only to find herself on the same ill-fated away team as her senior officer.

Both women had chosen to come here, where they felt they could be of the most aid. Troi to deal with the emotional pain of victims that arrived before being put in stasis, and the workers at the facility, who had all been exposed before arriving. Nesharna to help the doctors looking for a cure.

Thirty of the 178 stasis tubes that Voyager had brought back to the Sol system were from Najcon. Once they had transferred these last tubes to the Central Quarantine Voyager would be filling her cargo bays with Human-hybrids on the station that were awaiting transport and setting out for Setaris.

Chakotay set the shuttle down on the habitat's landing pad and let the atmospheric dome close above them. Then he powered down the engines and waited for the signal that pressurization had been achieved.

As soon as the shuttles doors were opened crews from the facility were ready to move the stasis tubes to wards that had been prepared for them. While the Doctor oversaw the removal of their most helpless charges, Chakotay disembarked from the shuttle to have a discussion with Dr. Crusher, who was standing by another shuttle waiting for it's occupants.

"I've just brought over the last batch from my ship Dr." Chakotay said. "Plus these two ladies."

Crusher reached out for Commander Troi and hugged her before responding to Chakotay. "I'll thank you for delivering my friend safely Captain." she said. "I'll have Xy let your new passengers know that you'll be ready to take them aboard soon."

Chakotay nodded, "I don't imagine that things are going to be very pretty on Setaris."

"They are finding themselves with more than the original estimate of refugees on their hands." said Crusher.

"What are the latest Figures?" Deanna asked.

"Over fifteen-thousand, " said a very crass old voice from the near by shuttle door, "and they were only prepared for ten." Admiral McCoy stepped down from the shuttle with the aid of a cane. He was not wearing an environmental suit like Chakotay, though his escort was.

"This station is under isolation protocols." said Crusher. "If you are not wearing an environmental suit, that means you can not leave until the quarantine is ended."

McCoy lifted his eyebrow in a manner that he had learned from an old acquaintance4. "And your point is Dr. Crusher?"

"I should have know that you weren't interested in leaving when you informed me you were coming."

"I would like to see the stasis wards first." said McCoy. "If you would be so kind as to lead the way Dr. Crusher."

McCoy was fast for a man his age and it took a moment for Crusher and the others, including Chakotay to follow.

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"This is the largest ward." said Dr. Kataba as she gestured along stacks of stasis tubes. There were so many that you couldn't see an empty wall, or even more than the smallest isle from which an antigrav sled could be maneuvered between the columns of tubes.

McCoy thought they looked more like coffins now. The bodies stacked up like so much cord wood. "How many patients are in this room?" he asked

"There are four-hundred and eighty in this ward alone." said Crusher.

"How many victims total here?" Chakotay asked.

"Twelve-thousand, three-hundred and eight at last count." said Crusher. "With another six-thousand known cases on their way here."

"There are an estimated nine-thousand dead, and eighty-thousand total exposures including fifty Nyel who are already in stasis." said Kataba.

"Not a soul untouched, as far as the eye can see." said McCoy.

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1. After the return of USS Voyager to Federation Space Chakotay was made Captain and given command of the ship.

2. After the return of Voyager to the alpha Quadrant there was a Holo-Revolt led by a man named Oliver Baines. Inspired by the same Holo Novel that The Doctor wrote. This lead to the near deletion of the Doctor, and his eventual court case with Lt. Commander Data as his counsel. He was granted Federation citizenship and he and Seven of Nine becoming part of the new Federation Think Tank.

3. Dr Jarem Kaz is a joined Trill that is host to the symbiont of a former Maqui named Gradak Kaz who's Bajoran wife was killed by The Butcher Of Bajor (Dr. Crel Moset). Cardassian war criminal responsible for atrocities during the Occupation of Bajor and later for during the Occupation of Betized.

4. We all know that Deanna and Will married in Star Trek Nemesis even if we also know that the movie sucked.

5. If you don't know who the acquaintance is you need a course in remedial Trek.

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	15. It's Been Too Long

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Fifteen: It's Been Too Long

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"It's been too long Simon." said Dr. Crusher to their latest arrival.

Dr. Tarses accepted his former CO's hand with gratitude. If not for the support of Dr. Beverly Crusher and Captain Jean-Luc Pichard, Simon would not have made it into Starfleet Medical after his Romulan ancestry had been revealed.1

"I'm sure you'll forgive me for wishing this was under better circumstances." Simon said.

"We are all wishing for better circumstances Dr. Tarses." said Lt. Xyon as he took Simon's hand. "I'm Lt. Xyon, but everyone calls me Xy."

"Xy is the youngest Starfleet Medical graduate," said Crusher, "and my assistant for the time being."

Tarses nodded, "I've read about Xy's case."

The Vulcan/Hermat blushed a shade of green. "I hope that you haven't read too much."

"Only enough to know that you're quite brilliant." Simon said. These are the last of the patients from DS9." he gestured to the two stasis units being unloaded. "This one has Dr. Bashir in it." Simon looked through the small window at the face of his current CO, and friend. "If it hadn't been for him we would never have figured out how to get past the reaction to a stasis field."

"I know from Dr. Girani's report that it was you that thought of thermal reactant." said Crusher.

"But it was Julian that figured out the right ratio to use."

"I know he's your friend Simon," said Crusher as she put a hand on Tarses's shoulder, "We've all had friends who've been hit by this."

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Simon watched through the habitat dome wall as Io finished setting behind Jupiter. The gas giants largest moon was it's most volatile, with constant volcanic eruptions that could be seen from were Tarses now stood. Jupiter had sixty-two natural satellites. The base that had been converted to quarantine was on one of the more stable ones.

"I thought I might find you here."

Tarses turned to find that Deanna was standing behind him. "Why did you think to look here Counselor?"

"You always seemed to like a good view."

He turned back to the dome wall. "Once all of my patients were safely in their wards, I found I just needed to look at something other than a bulkhead for a while. A week in a cargo bay can do that to a person."

"I don't envy the people headed to Setaris." Troi.

"It is a bit of a ride from here, and the conditions are cramped." Tarses shook his head. "Here is where I'd rather be."

"Hopefully we won't have to be here long." said Deanna.

"I'm sure your husband is missing you."

"We are never really apart."

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Lenard McCoy was going over the latest samples of the virus on padds in the mess hall. They looked the same, but something about them was all wrong. He'd come down here to think it over with a fresh cup of coffee after they had cleared Defiant to return to Deep Space Nine.

The virus hit those with who had had genetic resequencing like a ton of duranium, and Human Hybrids carried it, but didn't seem to be affected. Normal Humans and those of other races just eliminated it from their system within forty-eight hours. This thing was a weapon, how it worked was not completely understood. Why was it not eliminated from the system of a hybrid if it wasn't intended to make them sick.

There was a crash behind him, and McCoy turned around in time to see the Helenite med-tech try and regain her footing.

Dr. Kataba was able to reach Nesharna before anyone else could and had a tricorder out. "What is the normal body temperature for you?"

Nesharna was a bit dazed and had to think of the answer. "Thirty-six degrees Celsius."

"I think we need to get you into the exam room." said Kataba.

McCoy looked over Kataba's shoulder and squinted to see the tricorder readout. It read nearly thirty-nine. "I think we need to get all of the hybrids here into an exam room Dr. Kataba."

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1. See Star Trek: The Next Generation's fourth season episode The Drum Head.

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	16. The Way Things Are Wrong

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Sixteen: The Way Things Are Wrong

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O'Brien dropped his spanner and curse under his breath. It was not so much that the job he was doing needed done as he needed something to do. There was no word coming out of Central Quarantine, and each day without a cure for the plague meant more victims, and more quarantined hybrids.

Even worse it was one more day that Julian had to stay in the artificial death of the stasis chamber.

Julian had been so annoying when they had first been assigned to Deep Space Nine, but they had lived through so much together.1 The thought of a universe in which he would not have Julian to talk to was just not a place where Miles wanted to go. Though they no longer saw each other every day, their corrispodence made his new life on Cardassia easier to bare. Just like Julian's company had made his time without Keiko and the times of war a little easier to live with.

"How are you doing there Miles?" he heard Captain Kira ask from the other end of the hole he had crawled into.

He backed his way out to talk to her. "I've nearly got this section of relays back up." He began to route around in his kit for another tool that he would need in a minute. "I there anything else you need?"

"Half of the replimat just went down, but since they just finished with the lunch rush..."

"I have a couple of hours before people will be yelling about it." O'Brien finished. "How are you holding up, Nerys?"2 he asked as he saw the tiredness in her eyes that she couldn't quite conceal.

"Some of the temporary Militia personnel from the planet have never worked with Starfleet before and it's got more than one nose out of joint."

"It can't be all that bad."

"Oh, yes it can." she continued. "I had to have I had to have two Militia Lieutenants and one Ensign thrown in the brig after they came to blows when one off the Bajorans said something about Humans making the Federation no better than the Borg. Then the Ensign decked him while yelling something about, "Have a nice assimilation!"3 Then the first Lieutenants buddy had to come to blows with the Ensign.

"Did Dr. Girani have to put anyone back together?" O'Brien asked.

"I was tempted to make them wait to see her until after they'd sat in the brig for a few hours, but there's a regulation somewhere that says you can't leave a man in a holding cell with a broken leg, or a separated shoulder."

"I didn't know that there were still Bajorans who hated the Federation that much."

"There aren't many, Miles, but there are still some of my people who can't get past the Occupation." She leaned against the wall. "So of the most die hard Militia are the worst."

"Major Cell doesn't seem so bad."

"He's not so bad, but he still would never have chosen to apply for the post of Liaison Officer on his own."

"I'm told that was Ro Laren's doing."4

"You knew Ro on the Enterprise, didn't you?"

"Briefly." O'Brien admitted.

"She can be very stubborn some times." Kira said.

"And very persuasive when the situation calls for it." O'Brien finished.

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1. The first time O-Brien and Bashir were thrown together was in the first Season episode _The Story Teller_ where they most definitely rubbed each other the wrong way. There friendship didn't really begin until after the second season episode _Rivals_ despite having faced death together in an earlier episode from that season called _Armageddon Game_.

2. After Kira carried Miles and Keiko's second child it just doesn't make sense for them to call each other by anything but first names when no one else is around.

3. This is a little tribute to my late friend Ray X Grahm, the creator of The Warp Factor comic strip, who passed away early this year from pnemonia.

4. See The Worlds Of Star Trek: Deep space Nine Volume Two: Bajor.

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	17. Camp Topaz

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Seventeen: Camp Topaz

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Lt. Commander Philipa Mathias was overseeing the assignment of new arrivals to the camp. It was hard work looking at each new scared face. Each child that did not know why their parents had been forced to bring then here. Each private citizen that had left a life behind because of the Lily Plague. Each new exposure of a human hybrid brought another family here to the last refuge.

The place that had ironically been dubbed Camp Topaz1 by some of it's less than happy residents. It was not the official name, that was Setaris Camp One, but the souls who had come here against there own will said it was like the Japanese relocation camps of Earth's World War II. They called themselves the citizens of Camp Topaz as an angry protest of being forced to leave there homes, even if they agreed it was for a good reason.

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"This is Captain Chakotay of _USS Voyager_ to the runabout Jordan and her escort. You are entering a quarantined system." said Chakotay as _Voyager_ hailed the Idaris modified Danube class runabout on its forward screen.

The image of a Trill female wearing a science blue shirt with dirty blond hair clipped back with a less than regulation set of clips, and a dark haired human male with a thick mustache in full gold uniform came on screen.

The Trill spoke with a commanding voice that was beyond the Ensign pip on her collar. "Quarantine status acknowledge _Voyager._ We are carrying human hybrids from Bennion Colony and _USS Kelly_ for quarantine on Setaris IV." There was tired look in the Trills very old eyes.

"We've been expecting you Ambassador Ona." Chakotay said to the Trill. "I'm sorry your family vacation had to end so badly."

"It hasn't been ended Captain," the Trill said with an uplifted eyebrow, "just indefinably extended."

"The _Jordan_ has been assigned to Camp Six on Setaris IV's Southern continent."

"Crewmen Schneider has the approach coordinates on screen now Captain." The Trill made a half hearted effort at a smile.

"Perhaps once you've settled in we can talk about old times Ona?"

"Have we met before Captain?"

"Trey Ona2 and I went to the Academy together." Chakotay was more than a little surprised at the Trill's reaction.

"I'm afraid that many of my previous hosts' memories died with her Commander." Ona said sadly. "The circumstances of her death more or less scrambled what was left. It has gotten better with time, but I'm some times a little aphasic with what I recall."

"Then you don't remember the old times."

Ona smiled in a way that made Chakotay think of Trey. "If you were really Trey's friend, then perhaps you can remember them for the both of us." She looked down at the controls in front of her. "_Jordan_ out."

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The EMH Mark I had been discontinued in regular use some time ago by Starfleet, but this was no ordinary EMH Mark I that was working in the check in exam room for Setaris Camp Six. He wore civilian cloths now, but had served for seven years as the CMO of _USS Voyager_ before the vessel's return to the Alpha quadrant. The patient in front of him at the moment was a three year old girl with red hair, Trill spots and Xenexian Purple eyes.

"He not Dr. Xal3 Daddy." The unsure little girl said to her Xenexian father.

Crewmen E'ron Delina held his daughter patiently. "Dr. Xal is back home Kensie. This nice man is a Doctor here and we all have to see him if we are going to stay."

"Want to see Dr. Xal." the child said stubbornly. "Dr. Xal fix my owie."

"Where do you have an owie?" The Doctor asked.

The child held up her left hand to reveal a rather large sliver near the wrist.

"That is a rather bad owie." He said to her is as soft a voice as he could. "I bet I could fix it just as good as Dr. Xal."

"You not Dr. Xal." she shook her head.

A Trill female stepped forward from the crowd wearing only the uniform pants and science blue shirt. "Kensie, if you let this doctor fix your owie we can go back to the _Jordan_ and you can play with you cousins."

The child thought about it. "Okay, Mommy."

'dia Ona climbed up on the table with her daughter and held her while her father took the child's other hand. The Doctor was quickly able to remove the sliver and used a dermal regenerator on the small wound and ran the tricorder scans he required. 'dia then gave her daughter a kiss and handed her to her husband.

"I should be the last one in the lot for a physical." she said to the Doctor as E'ron headed back to the _Jordan_.

"I have one question about your daughter."

"If she is a Trill/Xenexian, then why is she a Plague carrier?"

"That was the question."

"She has Human DNA as well, it was inserted to correct a birth defect that would have been fatal, and could not be fixed any other way."

The Doctor ran a tricorder over the Ambassador. "You have low Isobromine levels, and your symbiont shows a high level of scaring?"

"My last host did not die well2, and nearly two years ago I got in a fight with a Klingon about an insult he made to The House of Martok4." she shook her head. "It's a very long story, but it should all be in the file you were given."

"You seem to be rather accident prone."

"All the grace of an Albatross as Papa says5."

"Papa is not a Trill term." he said as he flipped the tricorder closed.

"My adopted father is not a Trill, he's a Human Vulcan Hybrid."

"Was he aboard your runabout?"

"No, but my sister Jesser was."

"That was your sister?"

"I get that responce a-lot." Ona said. "You should have heard the jokes about if she forgot to put on her spots, or did I paint mine on before I became an initiate."

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Dr. Jarem Kaz sat in his office aboard Voyager and was going over reports from the camps as well as from the Sol system where they had made the victims quarantine. He had seen the stasis wards before leaving for Setaris, and it was not pretty. Thousands of people in frozen sleep, thousands more displaced to Setaris with the quarantined Helenites. Now the Hybrid carriers were developing fevers. They were about to have a whole planet of sick people on their hands.

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1. Camp Topaz was a Japanese relocation camp from World War II that was located in central Utah. Star Trek actor George Takai spent part of his childhood in one of these camps.

2. Trey Ona is my persona's symbiont's last host. She died in a lb accident on Earth that involved temporal displacement. She was in a state of post linear temporal displacement. This caused Temporal Narcosis along with Host Death Syndrome. This kind of left Ona's memories displaced in flux with reality. So she can be talking about Quantum theory and start spouting Klingon poetry.

3. Dr. Xal is the persona of a friend of mime in the _USS Kelly_ Star Trek fan club. She is the _Kelly_'s CMO

4. This story has to do with a LARP simulator mission at the Crista MaCulif Space Center in Pleasant Grove Utah, and was written about in the _USS Kelly_ Club News letter The _Kelly_ Communique. It ends with a line about the Klingon that knifed me not being extradited to Trill because he was already Executed by his own Cha'diche.

5. I am about that graceful in real life.

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	18. Alarming Results

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Eighteen: Alarming Results

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Dr. Crusher swore under her breath as she went over the results from the Human hybrids currently in the exam room that Dr. Kataba had just brought her. "It's mutating in their bodies."

Dr. Kataba looked at the results again and pointed to the different samples. "It's mutating differently in each patient. Taking on different characteristics with each combination of DNA."

"We can't rule out the possibility that it was designed to do this." Beverly said with a frown.

"That's just it," said McCoy, "I think it was designed to do this." He stepped into the office and took the only free chair since Kataba was standing.

Crusher set down the padds on her desk and tiredly rubbed her eyes. "The last thing I saw like this was was fifteen years ago." She leaned back further in her chair. "It was one of the Double Helix Prion Plagues. The disturbing thing about that is that the one I dealt with was designed specifically to kill hybrids, and when I got a good look at the DNA chains in the full Virus I found evidence that it's creator had a very sick sense of humor."1

"That was the one that had the words, 'You can't stop me', encoded right in it's structure, wasn't it." McCoy stated.

Crusher just shook her head.

There was silence in the room for a moment but it was interrupted by an alarm from a near by console. "We have a power failure in one of the stasis wards." Said Kataba as she shut down the alarm."

"Crusher to Xyon." Beverly said as she hit her communicator.

"I'm already on it Doctor." was all the reply they got.

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When Crusher, McCoy and Kataba reached Stasis Ward Seven they found That Xy, Tarses and two med-techs were moving stasis units from one section of the ward to another. "Report Lt.?" Crusher said in an all business manner.

"Two power nodes just blew." Xy said as he bent to check the last unit in the stack. "The units seem to be fine, so we're moving them to a stable power node." He checked the unit off on a padd and let the techs take it for transfer.

"How many units were effected?" McCoy asked.

"Thirty-two," Xy said as he ran a diagnostic cycle on the unit in front of him, "we've moved twenty-three without incident." An alarm sounded from the unit in front of Xy. "This one's failing."

"Get it on an antigrav," said Crusher, "we'll have to transfer the patient to another unit in Surgery Four. It's the closest." It was then that she noticed the occupant was Dr. Bashir. "You and Tarses concentrate on moving the other units." She hoped Tarses hadn't seen. "Kataba and I will handle this one."

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Crusher and Kataba had Bashir on the operating table between them. He was still covered from head to foot in the thermal reactant gel, which matted his hair to his head in an odd arrangement. The tubes in his throat and nose still in place from when he was put under. The IV still attached to his right arm. The incision in the right side of his abdomen gaping open.

"He's going into shock." the male Trill nurse said with alarm.

"It's the low oxygen levels," said Crusher, "if we don't give him more oxygen he'll asphyxiate."

"If we raise his oxygen levels we won't be able to put him back in stasis." said Kataba.

Crusher hesitated for only a second. "I don't think we'll be able to put him back in stasis. We'll have to revive him fully and get him stabilized." She began adjusting the oxygen level passing through the tube in Bashir's throat. "Maybe once we have him stable we can attempt stasis again."

"We'll need ten units of Human B Negative2 and a blood warmer, Aoen." Kataba said to the nurse.

The nurse nodded his head and ran out the door to get the needed items.

Crusher looked up as Aoen ran out and saw Simon in the hallway. He was making no move to enter, but there was no doubt he knew what was going on. There was no time to think about that as she grabbed a towel and threw on to Kataba. "We need to get as much of the thermal reactant off his skin as possible and suck it out of his abdomen."

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Tarses stood in the hallway outside Surgery Four with his arms folded across his chest. He was angry. There was no doubt in his mind that Crusher had left him in Ward Seven knowing full well that it was Julian in the failing stasis tube.

The fact that it was the right thing to do didn't matter to his anger. It was his friend in there, and he was not the one to handle things right now, but it was hard for Simon to just stand here and wait.

Bashir might not make it, and the odds weren't in Simon's favor at the moment either. The plague was in his blood, and no one knew for sure what it would do to him when the mutations finished. It was just a matter of time until he would die, or join those slumbering in the stasis wards.

He found himself clenching both his teeth and his fists, and without thinking he turned and punched the wall behind him.

"That's not a very constructive thing to do, Mr. Tarses." McCoy said with a heavy drawl.

Simon turned to face the Admiral with a look that was very much like a whipped puppy.3

"I know that Dr. Bashir is your friend." McCoy continued. "I also know that you're worried about your own hide, but punching walls will only break your hands. It will not help you find a solution."

"How do you know what I'm thinking?" Simon asked with confusion.

"I didn't get this old without feeling something, son." McCoy shook his head. "I may have worked with Vulcan's, but in case you haven't noticed, I'm not one."

Simon let himself take a deep breath. "I just wish I could wake up in my own quarters back on Deep Space Nine, and find out this is all a nightmare."

McCoy put a hand on Simon's shoulder and led him out of the way as Nurse Aoen ran past with another med-tech and a cart loaded with supplies. "We all have moments like that, but life never throws us the pitches we want young man." McCoy started walking away from the surgery entrance. "I was interrupted in the middle of a cup of coffee earlier, and I think you could use one while we wait for word on Dr. Bashir."

Simon followed McCoy to the Mess Hall half in a daze.

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1. See the Double Helix novels for confirmation of this tidbit.

2. The fact of Dr. Bashir's blood type is revealed in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season five

episode, In Purgatory's Shadow.

3. If you have seen the Star Trek: The Next Generation fourth season episode, The Drumhead, then you know the expression I'm talking about.

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	19. Elbow Room

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Nineteen: Elbow Room

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Chakotay was going over the figures with Commander Mathias. "So the camps are full." he said to the blond woman on his computer screen. "With any new attacks there will be no more room on Setaris for any more Hybrids."

Mathias pulled a a strand of hair back that had fallen from her braid. "The camps are already holding more people than they were designed for. Especially with the children who's non Hybrid parents have come."

"Can you blame those parents for not wanting to leave their children?"

Phillipa thought of her own two young ones back on Bajor with her husband. "Not in the slightest."

"All we can do is hope that there are no new attacks, and try and find a new location to put anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in one." Chakotay sighed, as a chime indicated there was someone at the door. " Chakotay out." He switched off the computer and turned to the door. "Come in."

Dr. Kaz entered the room. "The people in Central Quarantine are not having any luck with their research, and I'm getting reports now that as much as thirty percent of the Hybrids are developing fevers and other symptoms. There has also been at least one stasis failure, and they don't know if that patient will survive."

"Considering what I heard about past stasis failures with this Plague, I'm surprised they are giving him any chances at all."

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Commander Mathias was not sure what started the commotion outside. She had just ended her talk with Captain Chakotay when the yelling started. She ran outside to see what was going on just in time to see a man struggling with a Helenite security guard at the gate for the commissary. The Refugee had a old style phase pistol. They fought for it, and it ended up discharging and disintegrating the Helenite. Then another Helenite guard discharged a weapon at the refugee who ducked, and it hit a little girl in the crowd.

Phillipa ran to the girl while other Starfleet personnel subdued the man. The little girl was dead. Her delicate features revealed Katarian cranial spikes, and her dark hair was tied back in many knots that were now covered in blood. The impact of hitting the ground had in the chaos of the crowd lead to her stunned body being trampled before Mathias could get their to shield her.

Things would get more ugly with the loss of this most innocent life.

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	20. Plots On Risa

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Twenty: Plots On Risa

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Ro showered twice to get the smell of the Ten-Thirty-Two off of her. Then stepped out and dressed for bed. Dax had not yet returned from her job at the resort Ro was starting to get worried. She had received word of a meeting in the morning which Ro felt they should attend together. She had just climbed into bed and turned off the light when the door in the outer room of the apartment opened.

She climbed from the bed and made her way to the door when she found Dax. The disguised Trill was visibly upset and shaking as she tripped on the rug just inside the door and fell to her knees.

Ro called for full lights and helped Dax back to her feet. "What's the matter, Nichole?" She used the cover name at first, but when Dax didn't respond to it Ro shook her. "Ezri, what's wrong?"

Dax's eyes were smudged from tears. "Kira managed to get a message through Arandis."1 She took a few breaths to calm herself. _Jadzia wouldn't break down like this._ "There has been a stasis failure at Central Quarantine and Julian's tube failed."

"Is he still alive?" Ro asked.

"He is at the moment, but he's very sick, and they haven't been able to put him back in stasis."

Ro took a deep breath. "Julian is a fighter Ezri. If anyone can survive this plague it's him."

"I'd like to believe that," Dax said, "but you weren't in the quarantine ward when Janice or Drianna died."

"The way we can help all the victims of this best is to find Drex." said Ro. "There are more peoples' live at stake than Julian's."

"The other part of the message was that there are some incidents beginning to develop on Setaris." said Dax as she wiped her eyes. "The Hybrids are getting sick now, and there has been some violence."

"I overheard something to that effect from one of the regulars at the bar." said Ro. "He was celebrating the fact, and got really wasted."

Dax's mind was back on the task at hand. "Did he let anything else slip?"

"There is a meeting tomorrow morning for Humans only in the basement of a club near the Ten-Thirty-Two." Ro said.

"We get a chance to find out if the job Dr. Girani did on our disguises will fool a scanner."

"If you show any sign of remorse for the plague victims it might give us away."

"It's a good thing that Arandis was able to disguise giving me the message as a dressing down from my boss." said Ezri.

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1. Arandis is a Risan Native that works as a resort Facilitator. She was also once Curzon Dax's lover. See _Let He Who Is Without Sin_...

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	21. The Weight of Blood

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Twenty-One: The Weight of Blood

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Chakotay did not like what he was hearing. He had gone back to Lt. Kim's1 station to take a closer look at the data Commander Mathias had sent with her report. "So you're saying they have seized the Commissary in Camp One."

"Yes Captain." came Commander Mathias's voice over the channel to _Voyager_'s bridge. "Once the refugees discovered that the girl was dead they overpowered all the Helenite guards and Starfleet personnel in the area of the Commissary. The Guard that hit the girl managed to escape, and now they are demanding his death."

"Did you find out the girl's name?" Chakotay asked as he leaned over Harry Kim's shoulder.

"Her name was Dania, Sir." Mathias continued. "Her mother was a Starfleet casualty of the Dominion war. Her father is a Katarian who came here with her after she was exposed on Earth..." there was a pause. "He's one of the leaders of the faction that seized the commissary."

Chakotay bit his lip. "Is there any chance of this spreading to other camps?"

"I don't know," Mathias said, "but if it does we're in trouble."

"There is a woman in Camp Six who is an experienced negotiator." Chakotay began. "She's a Trill Ambassador with a battlefield Commission in Starfleet."

"Do you think the refugees will listen to her?"

"She has something that might get their attention."

"What's that?" Mathias asked.

"A daughter who is a Plague carrier." There was a moment of silence after that statement.

"I'll be awaiting her arrival. Mathias out."

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'dia Ona held her daughter to her as she tried to rock back and forth on the floor of the _Jordan_'s living quarters. All of the chairs on the ship were currently occupied by refugees from Bennion that her and her husband had allowed to remain on board for shelter. Most had chosen to make a go of it in the camp, but the few with small children and her family members had elected to remain on board the ship at the camp's edge.

Kensie would just not settle down for her nap. She would not eat her lunch, and had grown very cranky. Ona tried without success to sooth the child with a lullaby from the island region of Trill where her current host had been born.

E'ron entered the living quarters of the runabout and knelt down to take his daughter from Ona's arms. "There is a call for you in the forward cabin. It doesn't sound good."

Ona stood shaking her tired head and made her way to the front of the ship. She sat down in the pilot's seat and activated the viewer in the console to find Chakotay frowning at her.

"There has been an incident in Camp One Ambassador."

Ona's eyes widened. "How many dead?"

Chakotay's brow furrowed. "Two confirmed. How did you know there were dead?"

"Just because I don't have my past hosts memories straight doesn't mean I don't have their instincts."

Chakotay then filled her in on what had happened, even sending her images taken of the riot on a secured channel.

Ona was torn between two duties. The duty of a mother to a child that she believed was getting sick, and the duty to sentients that she had chosen when she became a Diplomat in the first place and again when she had accepted the battlefield commission from Admiral Hollinger2 as his Diplomatic Officer aboard _USS Kelly_. "I need to talk some things out with my husband, Captain. I'll signal you when I'm ready for transport to Camp One."

She switched off the viewer and made her way back to her husband. "There has been some trouble in Camp One and Captain Chakotay wants my help to negotiate." She ran her fingers along the side of her daughter's now sleeping face. "If something goes wrong," she looked in her husband's purple eyes with all the intensity four lives could manage, "make sure Kensie is taken care of."

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1. Harry Kim was given a promotion to Lt. And made the new Chief of Security. (See Star Trek: Voyager Spirit Walk Book I and II.)

2. Admiral Dennis Hollinger is the head of the Seventh Fleet affiliation of Star Trek Fan Clubs and his flag ship is the _USS Kelly_ Star Trek Fan Club. He is also a very good friend of mine who was the one who introduced my husband and I to the club.

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	22. The Rotten Core

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Rotten Core

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Janus Christian stopped the recording. Now that the virus had spread as far as it could by his men it was time to put the next phase of his plan in motion. It was time to put a voice and a name to Humanity's savior. Though his face right now would hardly do. The spots he bore now were only a disguise, but only an expert who got very close would be able to tell him from the late Mickar Drex.1

The Trill had been useful, but once he stopped being useful alive, his life became more useful.

Christian's cat meowed at his feet. "Are you hungry, Precious?" he asked the animal.

The creature meowed again.

He stood and picked the cat up off the floor. Then made his way over to a replicator, to order the creature some food. Once he'd left his pet satisfied he went to his bedroom to change into a more appropriate guise for the meeting this morning. He would have a currier there that would get his message off planet before setting it to broadcast to the media directly from the Federation's own subspace relay system.

When Christian emerged from his apartment his face was that of yet another man, and the Trill spots had been hidden by the same makeup.

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1. Like you really thought it was going to be a Trill who was after the Purity of the Human race.

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	23. Never Negotiate on an Empty Stomach

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Twenty-Three: Never Negotiate on an Empty Stomach

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When Ona materialized in _Voyager_'s transporter room she was wearing dark blue leggings, a white tunic with blue embroider on the front and black shoes that came to just above the ankle and were form fitting to the foot. She was tying freshly shampooed hair back with a large pewter baret that was feather shaped at the crown of her head and a into into a ponytail at the nape with a blue band of ribbon. In her mouth was apiece of toast with some sort of yellow orange jam on it.

The transporter operator and Dr. Kaz were both wearing environmental suits since Ona was still technically quarantined, even though she was not a virus carrier. Chakotay however stood without protection.

Ona finished the last bite of her toast and brushed the crumbs off of her clothing. "I hope you have eaten Captain, because you should never negotiate on an empty stomach."

"Aren't you out of uniform?" Chakotay asked.

"I could ask you the same question."1 Ona said with an uplifted eyebrow and intensity that would intimidate most.

"I know the risks of going down without an environmental suit on, but if I go with one on it won't sit well with the refugees that are stuck there without such protection."

"And I am going to negotiate as a mother, Captain," Ona said, "not as a Starfleet officer."

Chakotay nodded, "I've already had Dr. Kaz give me a subcutaneous transponder."

"Where would I like mine?" she asked.

"If you would just roll up your sleeve Ambassador?" said Kaz as he stepped forward with the instrument that would insert the device under Ona's skin.

Ona rolled up the left sleeve of her tunic and turned her head in the other direction so she wouldn't see what Dr. Kaz was doing. She winced as the transponder was inserted then rubbed her forearm before turning back to Chakotay. "I believe the Topaz Express is leaving."

Chakotay took his place on the transporter platform and checked the charge in his phaser. "Energize."

The two figures shimmered on the command. Then they were gone.

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Commander Mathias watched as Chakotay and Ona materialized in front of her. Ona went down to her knees as the transporter cycle ended and let out a small series of dry heaves before taking several deep breaths and pulling a mini hypo-spray from a pocket. She took a moment to inject the contents into her neck the knelt there to rest.

Chakotay and Phillipa both looked at her with concern and moved to help her from the ground. She waved them off closing her eyes and taking deep rhythmic breaths. When she had been through the cycle of breathing exercises five or six times she opened her eyes and held a hand up for Chakotay to help her to her feet.

"What just happened?" Chakotay asked her.

"Some joined Trills have difficulty with transporters."2 she said. "I had to give myself some Isobromine after the second transport, and center myself in order to overcome that problem."

"Trey never had trouble with transporters." said Chakotay.

"Neither have any other of Ona's hosts before me, but none of Ona's other hosts ever suffered from host rejection either." 'dia began walking to where the camp command post had been moved.

Mathias stood back a moment to talk with Chakotay. "This is the negotiator?" she asked with skepticism.

"Ambassador 'dia Ona has had a good record with her negotiations in the past." Chakotay said. "Her second host Nexa Ona worked with The Great Curzon Dax for a time in the Klingon sector before turning to poetry."

Phillipa smile with a sudden recollection. "Wait, I heard Ezri Talking about her on Deep space Nine a little over a year ago. She took a Klingon knife to the stomach on a point of honor after an incident with a rogue black hole."

"How is that?" Chakotay asked.

"A Klingon officer flapped his mouth off during a rescue mission that he refused to help with and then tried to kill her when she was unarmed in front of Martok himself over it."

"She's tougher than she seems." said Chakotay. "Her last host was that way too."

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Krendrar was on the roof of the commissary behind a barracked made of tables. He had not yet cried tears for Dania, but the time would come. The time for answers before the time for mourning.

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1. I remind my readers that all of Setaris is under Isolation Measures.

2. (See Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Volume Two: Trill: Unjoined, & Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Season Two: episode Invasive Procedures. Also Star Trek: TNG fifth season episode The Host where The Trill were first introduced.)

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	24. The Meeting

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Meeting

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Dax and Ro entered the meeting already in progress. At the front of the dingy room stood a Human male that spoke of how the race had become polluted through those who were genetically impure. They had each undergone a scan at the door to make sure they were truly Human, because only true Human stock had a right to rule this galaxy.

Each of the women was made sick, by the words they heard. Many of their Human friends would have been made sick by them as well.

They listened for a while, trying to look like they agreed with the speaker. Just about when Dax could take no more the man finished his speech. He told them all the time would come soon for them to rise up and take their place as the masters of all the races in Federation space. Most of the group cheered him as he left the podium and made his way through the crowd to shake hands.

He took Dax's hand and shook it. "You are a new face in the crowd." he said.

Dax tried to smile like she was actually happy to be speaking with him. "My name is Nichole." she said. "Nichole Baker, my sister Michelle and I are new here on Risa." She grabbed Ro by the shoulder to make sure there was no doubt they as to whom she was talking about.

"Charmed." the man said taking Ro's hand as well. "How did a couple of nice girls like you end up on a planet like Risa?"

"We're working our way back to Earth after visiting some of the outer Federation worlds." Ro answered.

"What ever were you doing that for?"

"We wanted to see the galaxy." said Dax.

"Why not join Starfleet then?"

Ro winced, "And have to answer to non-Humans."

"I have to answer to one at work now and she is such a pill." Dax said, "She gave me the hardest time yesterday, just because I don't seem hospitable enough to the guests at the resort."

"You won't have to put up with her for much longer my dear." the man said. "The time when Humans will rule the Alpha Quadrant is coming."

"We came in late, so we didn't catch your name." Ro said.

"I'm called Christian," the man said with a smile, "Janus Christian."

"We'll remember that." said Dax.

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Dax waited until they were far from the meeting before she spoke to Ro. "That was not Janus Christian."

Ro looked puzzled. "How would you know."

"Because Curzon matched wits with Janus Christian about twenty-five years ago." she began. "He had the same opinion of other races, but he died in a shuttle accident on his way to prison."

"Then this is either someone pretending to be him..." said Ro.

"Or he really survived and had some extensive plastic surgery." said Dax. "This guy is also too young to be Christian."

"Did Christian have a son?"

"Not on the record that I know of, but there are ways to find out."

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	25. The White Flag

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Twenty-Five: The White Flag

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Chakotay, Ona and Mathias approached the commissary gates of Camp One with a white strip of cloth held in front of them. Chakotay called out to the man on the prefab buildings roof. "We would like to speak with your leaders."

A Ktarian and a man of unknown race poked their heads up a little higher than their barricade then ducked low again. "Who are you?" one of them called out.

"I am Captain Chakotay of _USS Voyager_, this is Ambassador 'dia Ona of Trill and Lt. Commander Mathias from Deep Space Nine." he gestured to the two ladies with him. "We know that you are angry over the conditions here and what happened earlier, we just want to end this before anyone else gets hurt."

There was only silence from the commissary and Ona began to talk. "I would like to speak with the father of the child that was killed."

"Why do you want to speak with him?" the same voice yelled back.

"Because my daughter is one of the hybrids that is sick, and I don't think he wants to see any more children die today."

There were many moments of silence then a creaking sound as the doors of the building opened enough to let three men exit and come within closer range of the gate. Each man held a phaser or some other kind of energy weapon. At the center was the Ktarian. "I am Krendrar." He said heavily. "I am the father of Dania."

"Dania is a very beautiful name." said Ona.

"She was beautiful child." Krendrar said with anger.

"Would you like to see my daughter?" Ona asked as she pulled a locket from around her neck.

Krendrar backed up with skepticism.

"I will place her picture through the gate and one of your men can retrieve it." Ona moved very slowly as she closed the gap between her group and the fence.

She then began to retreat after placing the locket on the ground through the fence, but her tunic caught on the wire. One of the men by Krendrar rushed forward, but was shot down by a blast from a man on top of a near by building.

More shots were fired by men on top of the commissary and Chakotay rushed forward to try and free Ona, but Krendrar and his other companion had pulled the gate back and ripped Ona's sleeve free. Then Krendrar was holding his phaser to Ona's head and the shooting stopped.

"We are going back into the commissary." he yelled. "You will not shoot again." His companion drug their injured comrade back to the building while Krendrar forced Ona to walk backwards with the phaser pressed to her head.

Once the rioters had retreated again Chakotay and Mathias retreated themselves. "Who fired that shot?" Chakotay yelled.

A green recruit was ushered down from the building where the shot had come. Chakotay was ready to yell at the crewmen when the man slumped to the ground. A woman in a blue uniform ran a tricorder over him and looked up at Chakotay. "He's part El Arian1 Captain." She said. "I'd say he's in no shape to have been pulling duty up there."

"Is it possible he was hallucinating?" Chakotay asked.

The medic looked down at the man as he was placed on a stretcher. "We may never know, Sir."

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Lt. Commander Tom Paris2 looked at the forward viewer on Voyager's bridge. "We're still getting a clear signal from the Ambassador's transponder Captain. We could just beam her out of there."

"I don't think so Tom." Chakotay shook his head. "She had a mild sort of an episode after reaching Topaz Command that required Isobromine."

"What does that mean?" Tom asked.

"It means that another trip through the transporter today could kill her." said Dr. Kaz from the turbolift doorway. "If they have injured her in any way then the chances that a transport could cause a fatal case of shock are even higher." the Trill continued as he walked down to the command level.

"If she has that much trouble with transporters then why was she willing to use one in the first place?" Paris asked.

"Most of the time they don't give her trouble, but if she is stressed they can cause her problems." Kaz continued. "I was just looking at her medical file." he admitted. "I was able to pull up her most recent scans from check in at Camp Six after she transported down to Camp One. She has survived two bouts of Host Rejection syndrome3 and I think she is about to go into a third."

"If her joining is that unhealthy why wasn't she unjoined after the attacks on Trill like so many others?"4 Chakotay asked.

"Because it was determined that Ona would not survive unjoining or transplantation to another host when she recovered from the first bout shortly after joining with 888dia." Kaz's pronunciation of the Ambassador's full first name was more than a little strange. The first three syllables were enough to make many humanoids develop laryngitis by trying to say them. "It's because of how Trey Ona died. It damaged Ona to a point that the symbiont should no longer be capable of joining with any host, yet 888dia and Ona are still joined somehow."

"We'll just have to figure out how to end this without taking more risks to the Ambassador than we have too." said Chakotay.

"With a hostage the rioters may grow more bold." said Paris.

"Even worse is what her husband might do." said Kaz.

"What do you mean?" said Chakotay.

"Xenexian Men are not known for acting rationally when their mates have been taken prisoner."5 said Kaz.

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1. This race name may not be spelled right, but it is suppose to be the same race as Guinan.

2. Tom Paris was promoted to Lt. Commander after the return of Voyager to the Alpha Quadrant. His appointment as first officer of Voyager was not official at the end of Spirit Walk Book Two, but I'm willing to bet on it.

3. (See Star Trek: Deep Space Nine third season episode Equilibrium.)

4. The Worlds of Star trek : Deep Space Nine: Volume Two: Trill: Unjoined.

5. See any Star Trek New Frontier Novel for the behavior and customs of Xenex.

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	26. Ugly

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Twenty-Six: Ugly

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Captain Chakotay approached the runabout _Jordan_ cautiously. He heard a somewhat feminine voice belting out a song in Klingon. "_SoH pol SeS vaj thlegh_. _woslIj jen 'ej SoH Hot QaQ_. _ra'lIj lob SoH. 'ach, 'a tIqwI', qIj vaj chIm vaj bIr_. _Har chay' SoH_? _Ghop je' SoH chop_? _SoH yIv poH 'oH 'Iw_?"1 This was followed by something begin thrown and a man bellowing "_Gronzit_!2 Shut up!"

Chakotay stepped up to the open hatchway and ducked a slice from a knife. When he saw the knife wilder for a moment he thought it was Ona, but then he realized the woman had no spots and there was an almost unnoticeable point to her ears. It was when looking her straight in the face that he saw that the woman also had eyes that were much lighter than Ona's. Some where between copper and amber compared to Ona's Garnet brown.

"What are you daft?" the woman said in a pronounced Klingon accent. "Don't sneak up on me, I think you'd like to live."

Chakotay caught her hand and managed to take the knife. "You're right I would like to live, but in a moment I think I may need this more than you." He pointed to the knife. "I'm looking for Crewman First Class E'ron Delina."

A Purple eyed man stepped forward from the back of the cabin. "Captain Chakotay." he said with a half salute as he came to attention.

"At ease Crewman." said Chakotay.

The Xenexian allowed himself to slump, but somehow Chakotay doubted he was at ease. "You may wish to have a seat."

"What happened to my wife, Sir?"

At that moment Chakotay noticed not only the defensive tone the Xenexian used, but the defensive stance that the woman took as E'ron asked about Ona. Chakotay hesitated, and E'ron turned to a computer panel next to him smashing it with one punch. "I asked a fair question, I deserve an answer."

Chakotay gritted his teeth as he looked at the Xenexian. "Have a seat, Crewman, he said evenly. He turned to the woman beside him. "You too, Ma'am."

"I sit for no-one!" The woman said gruffly. "If you have something to say about my sister I can take it standing or you will be lying down."

Chakotay looked her in the eye without fear. "Ambassador Ona has been taken hostage by the rioters in Camp One. I don't dare try to retrieve her by transporter because our CMO thinks she may be going into Host Rejection again, and the Violence is spreading to other camps."

Ona's sister Jesser3 clenched her fist to the point that you could see brownish blood oozing from her fingernails.

After thirty seconds of silence in which Chakotay could see the turmoil on E'ron's face the Xenexian spoke. "I promised her that no matter what happened I would take care of Kensleia." E'ron stood with flames in his eyes. "Get your main research team to this runabout. We'll use the labs on here for them to continue their work. I'll head out away from the camps and make like a rock." E'ron made for the pilots seat to begin preflight check. "We'll use the holo-emitters to throw anyone off our trail."

"E'ron, you should be going to aide your Wife." Jesser said as she punched E'ron in the shoulder. "What kind of filth have you become?" She moved to punch him again, but he caught her hand.

"Make no mistake Jesser." he said. "I'm doing what 'dia told me to do, but if the Captain here fails to bring my wife back to me..." E'ron turned back to the task at hand. "I'll make death by this Plague look pleasant for him."

Jesser was not yet hearing what E'ron said. She threw these taunts at him. "Have you grown so soft that you need a mattress to sleep on? Your Duty is to your wife, you To'pa."

E'ron stood up and bellowed into the aft cabin. "Edward, come stow your wife or I'll throw her out the hatch."

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This chapter was a collaboration between BasketweaverJesser, Lone Wolf Calling and myself.

RavenDove

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1. This is a translation of a Nine Inch Nails Song.

2. Gronzit is a Xenexian all purpose curse word.

3. I have been asked to point out that the J in Jesser is pronounced like a Y.

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	27. From Bad To Worse

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Twenty-Seven: From Bad To Worse

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Julian ached all over. It was too bright for him to open his eyes, and he'd been struggling to wake up for what seemed like forever. Each time he would fall back into unconsciousness his dreams would become more strange, and he would hear voices that he was certain could not be there.

When someone forced his right eye open and shined a light in it. He bolted upright and grabbed the offending hand that held the light. He tried to say 'Don't do that.', but what came out was so horse and slurred that even he didn't recognize the words.

The action made him dizzy and he slumped back into the bed. Rolling onto his left side with a sudden urge to vomit. He couldn't help it. Everything in his stomach just came up at once, and it burned in his mouth and nose once it had passed.

Once the heaving stopped he felt gentle hands take hold of his head, and wipe a cloth across his cheek and chin to clean off the remnants. "Thank you." he managed to mumble more clearly. Then he drifted back to sleep again.

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Deanna witnessed what happened with Dr. Bashir from across the ward. She was only beginning to develop a fever herself, and had refused to be admitted to the ward yet. She'd been trying to speak with a Bajoran/Human woman named Jaxa1 Morgan at the time Bashir started to come around.

Jaxa was a civilian research scientist that had been exposed to victims in the hospital she worked in on Earth. At the moment she was too weak to even hold a padd, and Deanna was helping her write a letter to her parents.

About five minutes after Bashir vomited Jaxa finished the letter and Deanna excused herself to ask Beverly how her patient was doing.

"What's the prognosis on Bashir?" Troi asked.

"Since the transfusion he seems to be fighting off the virus better," said Crusher, "though I don't expect that to last." Crusher sat down in a chair to enter more data into the computer. "How are you feeling?"

"Still not bad enough to take a bed."

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Simon was helping Xy place the last group of expected victims into wards. The talk he'd had with Admiral McCoy over coffee had helped him immensely. Though he'd yet to begin feeling symptoms of the plague, and didn't yet know how well Bashir was doing since surviving the stasis failure, he was better able to focus. Even though he'd not gotten much sleep since arriving.

Their latest addition to the staff at this hopefully temporary facility was Dr. Elizabeth Lense.2 Lense was the CMO of _USS Da Vinci_, and SCE Saber Class vessel.3 She was a small human with very dark hair, and a serious determination in her attitude. "That's the last of of them." she said as she helped Xy double check the power connections.

Lense stood up and faced Simon. "Dr. Tarses, you're from Deep Space Nine, right?" she asked as she headed to the exit of the ward.

"Yes I am." Simon said as he followed her.

"I had a friend on DS9 when the Plague attacks started." Lense said with sadness. "I have reason to believe he might have been one of the first victims, but I don't know how he's doing, or if he made it here."

"I can tell you, if you'd like to know."

"Your CO, Dr. Bashir."

Simon frowned and looked away, before speaking. "He was the last one prepared for the trip here. He was able to help develop the process for putting victims in stasis with out causing the chemical reaction that killed the patients in the early attempt to put them under."

"Then he's here?" Lense asked with hope.

"He's up in the ICU."

"Why isn't he in a stasis ward?" Lense asked, as her heart pounded a little louder.

"Night before last we had two power nodes blow out, and had to shift several stasis pods." Simon stopped walking and turned to face Lense. "His tube was one of the ones affected, and it failed. When Dr. Crusher tried to transfer him to a new unit he went into shock, and she was forced to revive him, or watch him die."

Lense looked a little pail as she listened. "What is his current condition?"

"Last I check, he was still unconscious, but his condition was beginning to stabilize." Simon began walking. "He was also fighting off the virus better after they'd given him a transfusion, but he's not actually getting over it."

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Lense took Julian's hand in her own. They hadn't talked in some time. Not since word of his father's plea bargain had become public knowledge over five years ago. It was then that Julian had stopped writing to her.4

He was slightly fevered, and seemed to be struggling with something as he tossed fitfully on the bio-bed.

She could not stay by him long... There was just so much worked that needed done if they were going to beat the weapon that was killing him and every other patient in this ward.

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Dr. Crusher was in the mess hall. It was only after Admiral McCoy had pulled rank, and forced her to take a break that she had come here. She didn't taste her food at all, just chewed and swallowed out of habit. Her mind was still in the critical care ward with her patients, and in the lab with those working to figure out a cure.

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Deanna was just at the replicator ordering when Xy came running past headed straight for Beverly. Xy looked very worried as he talked to Dr. Crusher.

Deanna set her tray back in the replicator and decided to find out what was happening. She followed as Xy led Crusher to a comm screen at the side of the room and then keyed instructions for the news feeds.

What was on the screen was devastation. "Riots on Setaris IV have become deadly as hybrids now becoming victims of the Lily plague grow violent." said the news anchor. "We have just received word from a group claiming responsibility for the deadly virus, who's first victims where Humans who had be genetically resequenced for various medical reasons, as well as those few who were know to have undergone the procedure illegally. They call themselves Purity and there calling card of the Lily is not an ironic, but intentional choice.5 We have a portion of the audio message sent by Purity to Federation Media Services earlier today."

"Those that are saved buy genetic tampering are no better than Kahn Singh. They should have been permitted to die, or denied the rite to bread in order to ensure the purity of our race. Those that have been enhanced by genetic means are criminals who should be slaughtered like the pigs that they are. Those who are of half human blood should never have been born. They like Elizabeth Tucker6 belong in the grave. We have taken it upon ourselves to rite the abomination that allows these undesirables to live. To make our race as pure as the Lily."

The voice who had pronounced fire and brimstone was a deep baritone. The very words were sickening.

Deanna was all in a rage at such ignorance and stupidity. There was a sudden throbbing pain in her head. Everyone on this station who had seen the broadcast was in the same mind as she was, and the sudden solidarity of emotion was more than she could handle. She slumped to the floor, and blacked out.

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Ona sat in a corner of the commissary building with her hands bound behind her and her eyes closed. This was not how she had planned on spending the day. She was suppose to be swimming in the lake on Bennion with Kensie or reading her, her favorite Toby The Targ story. Not fighting for consciousness in a refugee commissary on a quarantined colony while her daughter and family were fighting for life.

She heard the sounds of a news broadcast coming into the commissary from a portable subspace radio. They were talking about riots spreading to all of the camps and an audio recording of a group taking responsibility for the Plague attacks. A baritone voice came over the speakers.

"Those that are saved buy genetic tampering are no better than Kahn Singh..."

Her last thoughts before loosing consciousness were of her family. I hope E'ron did as I said.

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Beverly had been ready to swear every curse she knew when she felt a weight suddenly slam into her back and knock her over. It was Deanna. Crusher's friend of so many years had become more fevered and began to convolve in her arms.

Xy already had a tricorder on Commander Troi before Dr. Crusher could react. "She's suffering from empathic overload."

Crusher looked at the tricorder readings. She had seen readings like this before, back when the _Enterprise_ D had encountered the entity called Kevin Uxbridge.7 Beverly wasn't sure if it was the virus weakening Deanna or some outside force causing such a severe reaction. "We need to get her to the ICU."

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1. This character is named after Bajoran Ensign Sito Jaxa, who first appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode The First Duty as a cadet from Nova Squad. The Character was later killed in the TNG episode Below Decks. I'm not sure on seasons for either episode.

2. Dr. Elizabeth Lense was the valedictorian of Julian Bashir's class at Starfleet medical, while he was salutatorian. Strangely enough, they did not meet face to face until the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Third season episode Explorers. At that time she was CMO of _USS Intrepid_. She later became CMO of _USS Da Vinci_ in the SCE E-Books that were later released in chrono-anthology formats of 3 or 4 stories to a bound book.

3. SCE stands for Starfleet Corps of Engineers. That is the devision of Starfleet that _USS Da Vinci_ is assigned to.

4. Dr. Bashir's genetic resequencing was revealed in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fifth season Episode Dr. Bashir, I Presume. His father Richard Bashir, who had taken him to Adgieon Prime as a small child for illegal genetic treatments pleaded guilty to the crime and spent two years in prison, in exchange for Julian retaining his Starfleet commission and his medical license.

5. The lily is a traditional symbol of purity in European culture and was used in burial rights in the middle ages.

6. Elizabeth Tucker was the first Human/Vulcan hybrid. She was a binomial clone created by the terrorist organization Terra Prime six years before the Federation Charter was signed. He biological parents were Commander Charles (Trip) Tucker III and Sub-Commander T'Pol. Elizabeth was named for Trip's sister Lizzie who died in the Xindi attack on Earth. Elizabeth died at six months of age. See the Star Trek: Enterprise fourth season two parter Terra Prime.

7. See the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode The Survivors.

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	28. Swating Mosquitoes

The Lily Plague Crisis

by Lyda Mae (RavenDove) Huff

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Swatting Mosquitoes

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Crusher sat at Deanna's bedside as she made even more notes on her padd. All the information they had gathered so far was blurring together, and yet they still had no cure. She looked over at Deanna, and then rubbed her tired eyes.

They had started putting hybrids in the stasis wards, and soon Deanna would be one of them. She was reacting in much the same manner as the first victims, though more slowly, except that she wasn't becoming delusional. The virus was overwhelming her more delicate mind, and forcing her to fight off emotions she could no longer block. It was only by inducing a delta wave dreamless sleep that Beverly had been able to help Deanna begin to rest.

Crusher stood and took Deanna's hand for a moment, then moved on to the next patient in her charge. There was not rest for the weary. Not as the staff numbers dwindled with each new case of mutation.

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Simon slammed down the padd on the counter with a little too much force. "We've gone over the scans for every patient that seems to fight the disease longer, and the few cases like Kataba. Yet we can't seem to find one thing in common."

"Maybe we're not looking for just one thing." said McCoy.

"What do you mean?" Simon was tired and puzzled.

"Back in the Twentieth Century they were fighting a disease on Earth called Tuberculosis." McCoy said. "Instead of giving the patient one antibiotic, they gave them two."

"Amoxicillin and Streptomycin.1" said Kataba, as she walked in and handed them each a cup of coffee.

"That's just it," said McCoy, "some times in medicine you have to swat a mosquito with a blasted phaser."2

Simon's eye's lit up with an idea. "Then we should look at all of the cases that showed resistance, and make a list of elements unique to their systems, and test each element against samples of the virus in combinations."

"It might help to take a more detailed scan of Dr. Bashir as well." said Kataba. She sipped her coffee. "I was just up to the ICU, and he was improving in spite of the original prognosis."

"What do you mean?" Tarses said with hope.

"He was one of those who resisted better in the first place, and after the transfusion the virus level in his system dropped."

Tarses frowned, "But then it started to climb again."

"We'll it's dropping again." said Kataba. "Though he still hasn't come around fully."

Xy came into the lab with a small stack of padds and the last part of a sandwich in his fingers.

"Xy," Tarses said, "I need you to get Dr. Lense to take more detailed scans of Dr. Bashir."

Xy smiled in a way the was almost frightening as it showed his more Hermat like teeth. "She's already on it."

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Julian could hear a humming noise. He thought a moment at what it was, a medical scanner. He was being scanned in detail.

There were sharp twinges as he began to feel all of the places his muscles had cramped. He had to move, the only way to end the pain was to stretch.3 He forced his eyes to open, and struggled against what was restraining him.

"Dr." said an unfamiliar male voice, "He's waking up."

Julian heard the sound of the scanner locks being released, and then he saw a face that made his heart ache. He tried to speak, but his mouth was too dry. It took him a moment to work his tung loose from the roof of his mouth. "Elizabeth!" he managed to say.

"Get me some water and a sponge." Lense said to Aoen. Once Aoen had handed her what she asked for she used the sponge to moisten Julian's mouth. "I can't let you drink anything yet." she said.

Bashir shook his head, understanding. He worked his tung around in his mouth some more now that it had been moistened. "I need to stretch, it's like my whole body is one big cramp."

"I understand." said Lense. Then she and Aoen managed to help him work out the kinks.

After about twenty minutes of stretching Julian lay on his side on the scanner bed, and felt the blood rushing to his head. "What happened?" he asked as he closed his eyes again.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Lense asked as she pulled a chair next to him and sat down.

Julian thought a moment. "Dr. Tarses telling me he was ready to make the incision in my abdomen." He opened his eyes again and tried to sit up, but half way there he changed his mind. "I also seem to remember throwing up at some point."

"You're still at the Central Quarantine." Lense began. "There was a stasis failure with you tube, and they were forced to revive you."

"The virus?" he asked.

"After they gave you a transfusion your condition got better, then worse, and finally a few hours ago it started to improve dramatically." She looked away from Bashir. "The hybrids have started to get sick now as well. "I was in the middle of a series of scans that might help find a cure for the disease."

Julian rolled back into place on the scanner, understanding. "Then you'd better finish them."

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It was an hour later when Julian was back in the ICU ward that he managed to sit up. Dr. Crusher4 was bringing him up to speed on their current efforts, and the situation on Setaris as he sipped a mild electra-lite drink. When she reached the figures he found himself so shocked that he inhaled when he should have swallowed. This had the affect of causing him to drop the drink and go into a coughing fit, that was rather painful.

Beverly helped Bashir to sit up straighter, and signaled to a nurse for help clean up the drink he's spilled. "You of all people should be able to remember the order: suck, swallow, breath, Julian."5 she said with mock sternness.

When the coughing fit ended he cleared his throat. "I'm only Human Beverly." he said. "I'm still vulnerable to being surprised."

For the first time since Deanna had arrived, Beverly was able to smile. " I guess that's why you're such a good doctor Julian. Because you are Human."

"I wish everyone saw it that way." Julian answered.

"You still get some tough customers don't you."6

"And these Purity fanatics have just taken it a few million steps further than most."

"We'll beat them Julian." said Crusher. "I haven't given up hope yet."

Julian smiled at her. "I won't give up hope either."

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1. This is historical fact, and finding the correct spelling of these drugs was very hard, because I had to look for them in a prescription drugs guide.

2. This is just a very McCoy like phrase.

3. I spent over six weeks on bed rest when I was expecting my daughter. Laying in bed too long can really hurt.

4. There are so many DS9/TNG cross overs that I just accept Crusher and Bashir must know each other. I'm also willing to accept they would be friends.

5. "Suck, Swallow, Breath." is practically a mantra in New Born Intensive Care Units. A baby born before thirty-two weeks has no sucking instinct like a full term baby. They have to learn it, and so it goes. "A baby must be able to Suck, Swallow, and Breath before being released from a NICU." Bashir received high marks in Pediatric Medicine, and would likely know the mantra.

6. There are bound to be some people who resent Bashir for being Enhanced. That was part of the inspiration for this story in the first place.

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	29. How To Seduce A Psychopath

Chapter Twenty-Nine: How To Seduce A Psychopath

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Dax had seen Drex enter the cabana area of the resort and was deliberately trying to ignore him. The act was a gamble, but it would better suit her purpose if he fell for it. Arandis knew the drill, if Dax could be seen as acting like a Human-Supremest in front of one of Christian's group or directly snubbing Drex, then she would have a better chance of entering the inner circle of Purity.

Ro had been able to learn from connections of her own that the man now calling himself Janus Christian was the son of a woman named Michaela Tanner and legally named Janus Tanner. The mother had never given a name for her son's father, but she had known the original Janus Christian. Despite obvious cosmetic alterations it was the same man that Dax and Ro had met at the Purity meeting the day before.

From records of Janus Tanner's voice Starfleet Intelligence had also been able to confirm that it was indeed he who had recorded the message that had been sent out to the media.

Drex twice held up a hand to signal her for a refill of his drink while she busily tended to the human customers instead. Arandis took the third raise of Drex's hand as her cue. When Dax stood right in front of Drex, Adandis grabbed her by the shoulder and took her to Drex. "Nichole, this gentelman wants a drink."

"So dose everyone else around here, Ma'am." Dax said with as much contempt as possible.

"I've just about had it with your atittude." Arandis told Dax.

"So what do you want?" Dax snapped at Drex.

"That's it Nichole," said Arandis," you are done here."

At this Dax upended her tray into Drex's lap. "Fine, let the Slug Lover get his own drink." Then she stormed out of the resort all together.

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Dax's next stop after leaving the resort was the same bar where the Purity meeting had been held. She sat down at a corner table ordered a human drink called a Slow Comfortable Screw1 and downed a gulp. The anti-intoxicants she had taken before leaving her and Ro's apartment would handle the Vodka, Slow Gin and Southern Comfort sipping whisky. As for the taste, at least it didn't wriggle like _qagh.2_

Then she waited...

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1. This drink really does exist. I know of at least one sailor who loved to order it form female bartenders just to see if they'd slap him.

2. Ezri Dax's dislike of Klingon food has it's humor.

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	30. When All Else Fails

Chapter Thirty: When All Else Fails

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Simon convulsed so hard that every muscle burned. He wanted to throw up. He could neither lay, sit, or stand. It was agony. His jaw clenched, his hands clenched and his legs balled up beneath him. He fell to his side and his spine curved into a fetal position. He wanted to cry for his mother, but knew she would not be there.1

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Xy entered the lab with yet more padds full of data and found Dr. Tarses on the floor writhing in most obvious pain. It didn't take a tricorder to tell him what had happened. The virus had finally claimed his new friend.

He dropped the padds onto the counter, and scooped Simon into his arms. "I'll get you to the ICU ward." Xy said in a calm voice. "They'll help you Simon."

Xy cradled Tarses like he was a new born baby. His weight and size was nothing to the Vulcan/Hermat. And for the first time Xyon felt guilty the the virus had no affect on his own body. It was not fair that it's designers had singled out good people like Simon, and Julian, and Commander Troi to suffer this much, when they did not even care what Xy was. Just because he was no part human.2

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Dr. Bashir was helping Dr. Lense with the watch on the ICU now that he was up and around. He still felt weak, but there were people in worse shape than he was in need of help. Dr. Crusher had objected to his being out of bed at first, but had finally relented after having to put Deanna into stasis. She had voluntarily left the ICU after that, and finally agreed to try and get some sleep. In the early hours of the morning Kataba had fallen asleep on one of the now empty beds, and he and Lense had decided it was best not to wake her.

When Xy came in carrying Tarses Julian's heart sank. They had still now found the right combination of elements for to kill the virus. "What happened?"

Xy laid his burden on an empty bed. "I found him in the lab, writhing on the floor."

Simon was now unconscious and his fever was running over forty degrees Celsius. Julian loaded a hypo spray with a drug that work as a fever reducer in Human/Vulcanoid hybrids and touched it to Simon's neck. "We need to get him out of his uniform and star an IV."

"I'll handle this." Said Lense. "I think it would be best if you take over for him in the lab, Julian."

Julian did not want to leave Simon here, but what Elizabeth said made sense. "I'll go, but I'll wake Kataba on my way out." He hurried over to where Kataba was sleeping, ans gently shook her only to discover that she too now had a fever.

Bashir tuned to face Lense and Xy, and activated his communicator. "Dr. Bashir to Dr. Crusher."

There was a moment and then a groggy response. "Crusher here."

"Tarses and Kataba are down."

The voice on the other end was wide awake now. "Wake up Admiral McCoy and get down to the lab. I'll be down to the ICU in ten minutes to help Lense."

"Acknowledged, Bashir out."

Xy had started running a tricorder over Kataba before Julian had finished talking to Crusher. When Bashir knew that things were in hand there he went to wake McCoy as he'd been ordered.

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1. I've been in the exact shape described here. I had a very bad kidney infection, I suddenly developed a fever of 104 degrees F. Which would be over 40 degrees Celsius.

2. Someone asked about other hybrids than Human/Whatever being affected. Fact is they aren't. Xy is no part Human, but most Helenites are, and the Hybrids sent to Setaris are part Humans that had become carriers before the virus started to mutate in their bodies.

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	31. Hook Line And

Chapter Thirty-One: Hook Line And...

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Ezri was growing tired of the atmosphere and old human style music when someone sat down in the seat across from her. It was in the middle of a song line about 'Scars we don't want to stitch.'1 that she looked up to find Janus Christian looking at her.

"I heard you dumped a tray of drinks in a Trill's lap today." he said.

Dax sighed, "Now I need to find a new job."

"I may be able to help you." Janus said. "I may even be able to get your sister out of that dive she's working at."

Dax laughed, "I'm sure she'd like to get away from Micky."

"He's Human, but he has such disgusting habits." said Janus.

Ezri winced, "I think he'd actually mate with a Horta2 if it weren't for the acid thing."

Janus smiled at her with an affection that made her skin crawl. "I need a couple of ship hands for a private yacht that's bound out of system tomorrow."

"Human only crew?" Dax asked.

"Of coarse." Janus smiled. "The movement needs to leave Risa for the time being and since the two of you want to work you way back to Earth this might be the perfect opportunity."

"Tell me where your ship is and Michelle and I can be ready to pull out of here before midnight."

"Sunrise will do just fine."

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After her little talk with Janus Dax went straight to the Ten-Thirty-Two and told Ro.

"He said sunrise." Ro confirmed with a smile.

"Sunrise..." Dax confirmed.

"Excuse me a moment."

Ro went over to Micky. "You know that offer of a raise you made earlier?"

Micky slithered closer and leaned in to Ro. "Have you reconcidered?"

Ro smiled in the most sultry way she knew. "Oh, yes I have." She grabbed the collar of his shirt pulled his face down into the nearest table so hard it broke. Then when he rolled over she stepped on his crotch as she dropped her apron on his face. "I'm even less interested now."

At that Dax and Ro left the Ten-Thirty-Two behind.

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1. This is a line from a song by the Russian group T.A.t.u.

2. See TOS episode _Devil In The Dark_

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	32. Hope

Chapter Thirty-Two: Hope

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It had taken Julian a half hour to figure out Simon's notes. Another hour to read through the list of tried combinations. Then he saw what Simon's last notes were before finally falling ill. "The thing that saved me was the antigen left over from when I was exposed to a Bajoran bio-weapon ten years ago."

"If you're talking about the Aphasia Virus1 we already tried the antigen." said McCoy.

Bashir worked out a model on an empty padd. Then held it up for McCoy to see.

McCoy shook his head looking at the two pictures on the padd in front of him. "That doesn't even look like the same antigen."

"You're right," said Bashir, "That's because it's combined with this antigen." Bashir pulled up a third diagram that looked almost like one of the first two. "It was in the donor blood I was given during the transfusion. It is also in Dr. Kataba's blood."

McCoy shook his head agreeing.

"So an injection of the altered antigen should cure the other Humans," said Bashir, "and possibly the hybrids as well, because even though it mutated differently in each of them; it still maintained certain characteristics in each case."

"We just need to synthesize enough."

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Deanna woke up to find the ward more than filled with patient. Not just hybrids like before she been overwhelmed in the mess hall, but full Humans as well. She was surprised to see Dr. Bashir up and about and telling Dr. Kataba that he didn't feel she was ready to be released yet.

Dr. Crusher came over when she saw Deanna try to sit up. Nurse Aoen came past with a try full of glasses and Beverly grabbed one for Deanna. "This will help you feel better."

She took it and began to sip the cool liquid slowly. The moisture feeling so good in her mouth. She took a breath, "What happened?"

"We found a cure by shear accident." Crusher pulled and unruly lock of hair back behind her ear. "I'll have to explain later. Right now I have about eighteen- thousand patients to thaw out," she said, "but with the quarantine here lifted we've already began sending shipments to Earth for the medical facilities there to handle."

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1. See Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season One episode Babel.

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	33. Good News For a Change

Chapter Thirty-Three: Good News For a Change

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Quark watched the view screen set behind the bar in the Ferengi Embassy.1 The news commentator, a Kriosian Female2, told the story with obvious elation.

"The majority of the Plague victims in the Sol system are being revived at facilities around the Earth as well as Tyco city3, Utopia Planitian4 and the Mars colony5 cities. The Plague antigen discovered by Dr. Simon Tarses has even been found effective on Nyel and Hybrid cases."

The footage of desolation began to scroll across the screen by the Kriosian's head. "Word from Setaris IV however remains grim as riots spread from Camp Topaz. It is unknown at this time if research teems there have found a way to deliver the cure to uncooperative rioters."

"Even less hopeful is the death toll with stasis proticalls inactionable on the Helinite colony."

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Captain Kira watched the news footage and then turned back to replay the message she had received earlier.

Dax smiled from the screen. "Hi Mom. Michelle and I thought you might like to know we've left Risa. We've taken jobs as hands on a private yacht with an all Human crew. The yacht owner is a man named Janus Christian. He has the sort of views about how things should be with Humans and Aliens you'd agree with. We'll drop you a line when we get to our next port."

Kira smiled at the progress being made. The simple message had been sent to an intelligence operative on Earth and the relaid back to Kira through secure channels. The same method could be used for future reports, though they would be only as necessary to limit chances of discovery.

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Michelle and Nichole had been given a small room to share on the _Terra Incognita_. Neither of the was suppose to be a pilot, but both had some engineering skills that there personas could draw on for the trip.

Now they just needed to learn where the ship was going.

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1. Grand Nagus Rom made Quark's Bar a Ferengi Embassy.

2. See TNG Episode _The Perfect Mate, _and Articles of The Federation.

3. The largest city on Earth's Moon.

4. The Ship Yards above Mars.

5. For More about Terraformed Mars see the Voyager novel Mosaic by Jeri Taylor.

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	34. The Sky Is Falling

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Sky Is Falling

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The fire fight had broken out in the hours just after the news broadcast reached Setaris. It was a constant between Starfleet, the Helenites and everyone else on the planet. What was bad had gone to worse in a matter of hours. There wasn't a Human-Hybrid in the system that wasn't showing symptoms of the Plague. Normally sane men were mad. Mad men were sane.

Chakotay was trying to get men to the commissary in Camp One. He doubted that Ona would survive in there much longer with the world going to Hell around her. He took a blow to the head, and then there was nothing.

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The Jordan lay beneath a holographic duck blind1 parked neatly in a cave ten kilometers away from any other concentration of life on Setaris. Though they had contact with Voyager, no one else knew where they were. They had all known one hard night.

E'ron held his daughter to his chest. The child was racked with chills as the fever seized her small body. The remains of an unfinished Popsicle lay on a plate beside E'ron's chair. He was silent though his eyes burned with fire at each spasm from the girl's body.

Crewman Schneider sat on the cabin floor across from E'ron trying to get his youngest child to take sips of water.

Most of the other occupants of the runabout lay on the floor or couches. Three small forms and one large one in the very back were completely covered with sheets. Casualties of this Plague.

The EMH exited the lab area of the ship carrying a hypo-spray. "We've managed to replicate the antigen in the message from Central Quarantine, but we don't know how well it will work on hybrids." he said. "No doubt they've already tried it there, but haven't had time to send the results by subspace."

"It's the only hope?" E'ron questioned, with more shock in his voice than he would have cared to show.

The Doctor placed the hypo to the child's arm. Then moved to the other's in the cabin. Including Jesser and her two children. "It's the only hope that anyone here has."

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Kaz went over the data for the antigen on his computer in Voyager's sickbay. He pulled up a the plans on a device used by the So'na. And pointed it out to Commander Paris and Lt Kim. "This is a drone that shots out isolinear tags.2 If we replace the tags in the magazines with darts that have the antigen."

"Then we could inoculate everyone on the planet's surface." said Paris. "I wish we hadn't lost touch with the Captain last night." he shook his head. "Get Lt. Vorrik on this rite away and let me know when you are ready to deploy." He turned to the door. "I'll have Lt. Tare take us into the atmosphere so we can send them through the torpedo tubes in large numbers."

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Lieutenant Commander Phillipa Matthias tried to wipe the blood from Captain Chakotay's forehead with a cloth and some water. Water was a scarce thing since the riots had began here on Setaris. The camps were over crowded, and unless something was done soon there would be no one left on Setaris to cure. Even if they found a cure this very minute. There was no way to get it past those who had taken over the camps from the Starfleet and Helenite officials in their Coup De Stupidity.

There were nearly three thousand dead already here. And she feared that she would be joining them soon, without even a chance to say goodbye to her husband and children.

With the ash from the funeral pyres drifting on the air, she was reminded of a sad poem one of her Human ancestors wrote called _The Day My Sky Fell._

Phillipa's sky was falling now.

In the gray of dawn she could see the Commissary of Camp One. The place where the riots had started over forty-eight hours ago. The place where Ambassador Ona was still a hostage. She no longer had any hope left.

"May death come to us swiftly as it has it has come to this world today." she said to the unconscious and fevered Captain.3

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1. This is a nice little trick, and since the Jordan is not a Starfleet vessel there is no breaking of certain treaties with the Romulans here.

2. These were in the movie Inserection.

3. Chakotay's tribe is the direct result of ancient genetic bonding between Humans and aliens. (See Voyager episode Tattoo and Spirit Walk book One and Two.)

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	35. Inside Hell

Chapter Thirty-Five: Inside Hell

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'dia was only aware of herself. For the last two and half years there had always been more in her thoughts than just herself. Only in the short time after the birth of her daughter when she had nearly unjoined had she known the loneliness of one mind after Ona had become part of her.

Then as time passed she became aware of others. There was Trey, Cephron and Nexa, but there was also Nikal, Zanje, Mira... Not hosts that had been, but hosts that would be. Parts of her that she had known at that brief moment before Trey had died. In that moment Trey had known her as well...

"This is not your time young one." said a voice both booming and soft. "You have much to do before the pools may claim you."

She both saw Trey and was Trey. "You were my future before I was your past."

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Krendrar had watched each of those in the Commissary fade until some chose to end their own suffering while others in their insanity did away with alias as if they were monsters. Only he and one other remained. A woman who's mother was human, but who's father he wouldn't care to guess at.

When it was done he would be the last one standing and his daughter's death would mean nothing. His tears came to his cheeks now, and he was ashamed. He was a man with no hope, and no future. He looked down at the locket that held the Ambassador's daughter's photograph in it. The child would perish like his own, and with the Trill now catatonic he doubted there would be a mother to mourn her.

The woman raised her phaser and pointed it at the still form of Ona. "If I am to die I will see her end first."

Krendrar moved to shield Ona without thinking. She was not his beloved, but she did not deserve death any more than his wife or there dear Dania. Before blacking out he heard the phaser fire again and knew that his last companion had ended her own suffering before the fever could claim her as well.

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Ona felt the weight of someone on top of her. It had to be Krendrar, something had transpired that only half of her was aware of.

She tried to open her eyes, but she was not ready yet. She did not know when she would wake, but she knew that when she did, she would be whole.

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	36. Welcome The Falling Sky

Chapter Thirty-Six: Welcome The Falling Sky

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In the aft cabin of the Jordan there was life. Kensie was all over the laps of her Aunt and then her cousins. The Doctor was the only one about with strength enough to manage the toddler.

In the forward cabin of the Jordan there was life of another kind. E'ron straightened his jacket as he placed a phasers and grenades in each place he could find then strapped on a field pack and shouldered a phaser rifle. "I'm leaving you in charge of the Ship Ed." he moved to the transporter pad. "I have some business to finish." He keyed in the command and was gone.

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Voyager slipped beneath the clouds of Setaris letting out bursts of drones from her torpedo tubes. It had taken two hours to replicate the first batch of drones and then every few hours after that the ship had made another run at the surface delivering more.

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"How much of the population centers have been covered now." Paris asked Lyssa Campbell.

"Thirty-seven percent, Sir." came the reply.

"Paris to Sickbay." he called.

"Kaz here, Commander."

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The Trill Doctor placed a the last few things in his medical case. "I have medical teams ready to start beaming down to Topaz Command, and start working on things from there.

"Mr. Kim is waiting for you in transporter room one." Paris said.

"Understood, Kaz out."

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E'ron circled the building remains then ducked behind the wall. There were two figures on the floor of the quonset hut.1 Each with a dart embedded in their side.

He turned the first one over and felt for a pulse. It was a human looking woman with blond-white hair half in a long braid. She was breathing and came awake at his touch.

"Who are you?" she asked with a croak of a voice.

He pulled a water pack from a pocket in his knapsack and held it out to her. "I'm crewman Delina."

Phillipa looked up into purple eyes and understood. "Ona's mate."

"Yes." E'ron moved to the next figure and identified it as Captain Chakotay. He was breathing, but needed a medical help. E'ron pulled out a tricorder. "I don't think the Captain here is in any shape to be moved." he moved back to Mathias. "Is that the Commissary over there?"

Mathias nodded as she pulled the dart from her side. "What happened?"

"Antigen dart." E'ron said. "They've been sending out drones loaded with them from Voyager since mid-morning." he trained the tricorder on the Commissary. "I'm only getting two readings from the Commissary but neither one is clear."

"I hope that one of them is your wife." Mathias said.

E'ron jumped though a hole in the wall without saying another word. The frontal approach to the building was the one he chose. He kicked the gate open and vaporised the door. There were no darts in here just the bodies of men who had drawn weapons on themselves in madness.

There was movement in the far corner. He trained his rifle on it and moved forward. It was the Ktarian. There was hole smoking in his back and he was sheltering something. E'ron rolled him aside and there in a ball was Ona. He lifted her from the floor and kicked the dead aside so he could look at her more closely. Her tunic was ripped at the sleeve, but there was not a mark on her. Her breathing was very shallow.

Just then the room filled with Security each training a rifle on E'ron. The leader of the group was the yellow skinned Human E'ron had seen on the bridge of Voyager.

"She needs a Doctor." E'ron yelled.

Kim lowered his rifle. "Get Dr. Kaz. He yelled back."

Kaz entered the building and knelt by Ona with a Psylograph2 that he had packed just for this patient. "I think she will survive." he shook his head. "Though this scan is worthy of a medical paper." he gave Ona a shot from a hypospray and her eyes began to fluter.

"Krendrar." Ona said hoarsely. "He saved my life."

Kaz moved to the Ktarian and looked at the tricorder of a med-tech. "I need to operate right away. I'll transport up with him." he stowed the psylograph in his kit. "They've already transported up Captain Chakotay and Commander Mathias. I'll have a shuttle sent for the Ambassador and her husband."

The orders were given and Kaz and the Ktarian were gone.

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1. Quonset huts are prefab buildings made of corrugated metal.

2. A psylograph is a Trill specific bio-scanner designed for use when the patient or quarry is a joined Trill.

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	37. It Ain't Over

Chapter Thirty-Seven: It Ain't Over

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Chakotay woke up with a headache worse than the one Crell Moset had given him.1 He raised a hand to rub his eyes and felt a gentle touch to his shoulder. He found himself slowly helped to a sitting position and opened his eyes to find himself looking at the purple skin and deep eyes of Counselor Ashtalla.2 "I feel like a piniata."

"What is a piniata?" the Huanni asked with her ears twitching flat.

"Something that gets beaten to smithereens." said Chakotay.

"Since I'm told that is what someone tried to do to your head that makes sense." Ashtalla bobbed her head. "At any rate Dr. Kaz in surgery and I'm helping out here for the moment."

Chakotay looked around. On the beds to either side of him were Krendrar and Ona. Krendrar was hooked up to an IV and very unlikely to cause trouble for the security guard at the foot of his bed. Ona was propped up on a pillow juggling details between two padds with a stylus.

Before Chakotay could ask there was a cool glass in his hand with a straw and Ashtalla was fluffing a pillow for him. "I'd offer you a teddy bear too, Captain, but with all the children on Setaris right now. I'm all out."3 She smiled and moved on to the next patient.

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Phillipa Mathias entered the small holodeck on the Jordan4to find Ona and her daughter splashing in the water of a lake. Ona wore a swim suit that covered everything from the knees up and half of her arms in a midnight blue. Kensie wore a more traditional suit with a little skirt attached. Phillipa watched as Ona held the child in her arms facing her and would move her back so that her head floated in the water face up for a few seconds then lift her up with one hand gently behind the neck. Each time the movement was accompanied by a fraize in Trill5 which would cause the girl to squeal with delight.

Ona looked up to see Mathias scooped up her daughter and headed for a towel on shore. "Are you ready to head back to Deep Space Nine Commander?" she asked.

"I am Ambassador." Phillipa ran a finger along the child's hand while Ona wrapped her in the towel. "I have my own children to get back to."

"My next stop is Trill." Ona said.

"Dr. Kaz told me." Mathias took a deep breath. "It would seem you beat your third bout of Host Rejection without medical help."

"It was so much more than that." Ona said. "I cannot even begin to explain it." Ona laughed, "The Symbiosis Commission will want to keep me there for a month at least."

"I'm glad you push for no charges against Krendrar." Mathias said, changing the subject.

"The real crime was committed by whoever designed the Lily Plague Commander. Not Krendrar and certainly not Dania." Ona looked at Kensie. "They are the ones who should pay for all of the lives lost on Setaris."

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The man with the baritone voice looked over the figures on his computer screen. Twenty-thousand dead, it was a start. The goal was reachable, if not in his lifetime then the next.6

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1. (see Star Trek: Voyager: Spirit Walk Book Two)

2. The Huanni look something like a humanoid purple kangaroo and express most of their emotions with their ears though they try to keep there ears straight in front of strangers.

3. This is not a joke. That's why it's so funny.

4. This is part of the extended living quarters and can be used to double the lab space on the ship.

5. I imagine the translation is somewhere along the lines of "Dunk the Baby." this usually gets a laugh out of her now, so it's not a stretch. She also likes that fact that I can make a long sustaining buzzing sound like a bee using round breathing techniques like would be used to play a didgerydoo.

6. Mwahahaha.

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End file.
